Flipside cover story |
|
GROOVE DISASTER '96 by Michael Joseph
Joey from the GAIN is the shit, kid! To be honest, most of the interviews I do have to be edited like crazy just to give the appearance that the baboon I'm talking to is even awake. All right, that's not always true, it's just that this guy has a great sense of humor. If you don't believe me, just check out those sexy pants. Hey, truth be known, I'm sick and tired of all this blow job-hack, pseudo pop shit, but these guys are a dog of a different color. If you don't run down to the record store and buy their wax right now you're a sucker M.C. 'cause these mother fuckers come correct.
Your from the East Coast? East Coast is in the motherfuckin' house. I'm from Rhode Island, small state about an hour south of Boston and about 2 hours north of New York City.
How long have you lived here? About 3 years. I started in Hollywood then moved to North Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, then here in West Hills, now I'm moving again.
Didn't you just move to the valley to be closer to Groove Disaster? Yeah, exactly, so I could get the issue hot off the press. I can't stand around waiting for it to be distributed.
What is up with the Gain posse? We have 4 records out right now on a few different labels. The 1st one we put out called Quadroburbia we put out on our own label, Brrapp Records.
How'd you like the experience of putting out your own record? It was awesome, we needed to do it. We had been playing together for a few months, we needed to put something out on vinyl, get the word out about the band.
Did you have a distributor for it? No, it was totally DIY, we took it to the stores. We still get orders from them. We sold about 1500 copies, 3 different pressings. Then Tom put out You Should Know on Dead Beat, which was done fucking awesome. His label is really becoming reputable. We have a split with ZOINKS!, so they have spread the word a little bit. 702 Records put out us and SCARED OF CHAKA. The next big thing was to put out a CD. We got a few offers from here and there, but we decided to go with Mighty Records, 'cause it's local, right here in L.A. We're really happy with them.
Any good tour stories? We had a crazy fuckin' run in San Francisco. We were staying at Blag Dahlia's house and someone he lived with started freaking out one night. Nathan andI were sitting in the van, getting ready to take off and we hear all this screaming. Come to find out that this guy throws this chick down the stairs. He's just wailing on her. I mean full on punches. I can't understand why he would hit a chick like that. So I got him in a head lock, then his friends came down and it started getting out of hand.
Blag Dahlia was beating the chick? No, Blag is the nicest guy in the world. It was just some guy that was staying at his place. Blag helped us out on our record, he's a fucking awesome guy. He hooked us up with the "You Should Know" record. Actually, he did a couple of cuts on the other records too.
Where was the best place you played while you were touring? We played some killer shows up in Reno, with The QUEERS, ANTI-FLAG, FACE to FACE, and SCARED of CHAKA. We went to Alaska with ZOINKS!. They fucking ruled. It was 11:00 p.m. and the sun was still out. We stayed in a log cabin over lookin' the bay. Fuckin' unbelievable.
Tell me about the time you got your ass kicked at the Cobalt. We were on tour with SCARED of CHAKA. What a terrible tour. It was actually fun, but a lot of bad things happened to me...I fuckin' zippered my dick in my zipper one time.
What do you do something like that for? You can't do nothin', you just gotta play and pretend it doesn't hurt.
It happened while you were playing? It was right before we were going on in San Jose, and I zippered it up and caught the skin. The I caught pink eye like 2 days later. I didn't have a doctor to go to , so my eye was all swollen and shit.
Did you look all nasty? Yeah, it was bad man.
Where did you go on that tour? Just the West Coast, up and down into Nevada, up around San Jose , Grass Valley, San Francisco...
Did you break even? Yeah, we actually came out a little ahead with the merchandise.
The lunch boxes and shit? Yeah, the KISS lunch boxes, The GAIN toothbrush. We got it all. The tour was a lot of fun. We went out with this guy Pete in Reno.
Pete the Stickerguy? Exactly. he does a lot for the scene.
Hey, so you guys get back from tour and you're over at the Cobalt crying while a 12 year old was beating you down? And you were holding onto a table leg while he was trying to pull you outside... Yeah and I was goin', "Leave me alone man! Leave me alone!".
And his girlfriend had you in a full nelson? Yeah, she gave me the worst beating of all man, that was rough. No, what happened, this kid stole a fucking shirt from SCARED of CHAKA, like two weeks prior to the Cobalt show. So I got in his face, made him give up the shirt without incident. Him and all his homies were yelling, but I knew their bark was worse than their bite. Then we came back to the Cobalt (after the tour) and I'm unloading my gear and this group of kids come up to me, all like snotty nosed 18 years olds and shit. This kid's like, "remember me?", and I don't recognize the kid at all. I thought he was just a fan or some shit, wanted a record or autograph. They just started throwing punches every which way, but I thought gettin' jumped was like you leave the kid all bloody and broken on the ground. They all hit me like one time and ran. Then we ended up finding out who the kid was. I went to his housse to play one on one but his mother came to the door and wouldn't let him out of the house.
She kicked your ass? Yeah, she wanted to kick my ass. I didn't want to mess wih her. Those moms come out with wooden spoons and she had the belt in her hands. I never did see that kid again. I think he's still hiding in the house.
A lot of people compare you guys to GREEN DAY, I hear you get pissed off about it. I don't really care. I personally like GREEN DAY. I'm not crazy about the new stuff, but I like old GREEN DAY. I love a lot of pop shit. The Gain is pretty much a pop band. Anytime you hear anything poppy, your gonna compare it to GREEN DAY. To me all the new West Coast rap sounds like SNOOP DOGGY DOG. If you're into our scene your gonna say The GAIN sounds like the BUZZCOCKS. We kinda draw our roots from the earlier '77 style pop, punk shit.
So like rap, like what, the old shit? Yeah
Like the "Rock the Bells" or "Rock Box"? I like a lot of East Coast rap. Old school is all East Coast for the most part. PUBLIC ENEMY, ERIC B. & RAKIM.
Old PUBLIC ENEMY is fucking sweet! I listen to jazz, you name it I listen to it. The only thing I can't dig on is Country music.
You gotta hear some old Hank Williams. A lot of people have said that.
What kind of day jobs do you guys have? You work construction right? Yeah, for a company called Summit, out of Laguna. We travel around and build malls, houses...break them and put them right back up again. It's a lot of fun, it's a blast, I love my job. Steve works for a big store called Ross, Dress for Less. When it's shoes you need, it's shoes he's got. Corkys is some what of a traveling salesman. He sells vacuum cleaners. Corky used to be on a TV show called Silver Spoons. That's his claim to fame.
He played Freddy? Yeah, he also did a brief stint as Messy Marvin for Hershey's Syrup.
He's not acting anymore? No, he's done some short little things here and there. He's waiting to get on Baywatch. That's his goal.
If GREEN DAY and The GAIN got into a fight who would win? Oh fucking us for sure 'cause they got me on the team. I mean I could slap GREEN DAY around by myself.
WHAT IS PUNK TO YOU?
Steve: it sure ain't baggy pants and shoe endorsements.
Corky: I would say, doing something that's not the norm for the present pop culture mainstream market. May it be fashion, stage presence or the actual music. For example, when Bob Dylan turned his amp up during a folk festival, it pissed everybody off but he didn't care. That's punk. Another example, was the Who breaking their instruments onstage in a time where church was mandatory in almost every household and conservative was the only way to live. That's punk. And, of course, you have the political side of punk which would take days to explain.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RELEASE? WHY?
Steve: Anything BEATLES 64-68, the WHO Sellout, the BEACH BOYS Pet Sounds or the MOVE Shazam. I can't decide.
Corky: NIRVANA Nevermind changed pop culture and got rid of most of the shit that was polluting the airwaves.
DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELVES A MELODIC PUNK BAND?
Steve: Sometimes.
Corky: Not like the new school melodic punk. It's more on the pop side.
WHAT DO YOU REGRET AS A BAND MEMBER IN THE GAIN?
Steve:That I'm often openly heckled.
Corky: Nothing.
HOW LONG HAS THE BAND BEEN TOGETHER?
Corky: Five Years.
FAVORITE BANDS YOU LIKE TOURING WITH? ANY GOOD STORIES?
Steve: We haven't done much with ZOINKS! since Zac left, but I had a lot of fun with them.
Corky: SCARED OF CHAKA
DO YOU THINK EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON?
Steve: If intended, primarily from a reactionary state (as in the conclusive piece/pieces in an already existing theoretical structure). I'd be inclined to suggest that it does. However, fundamentally accepting change as an equalitive to endeavors planned would be misleading.
Corky: I would like to believe this.
WHAT ARE YOU GOALS AS A BAND?
Steve: To make something I could really be proud of.
Corky: To make great records and have many people hear them and see us live.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE LOVE?
Steve: If you would give your life so that someone else might live I'd call that love, unless, of course, you want to die. Then you'd be displaying selfishness.
Corky: Happiness.
WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON TO YOU?
Steve: Jennifer, Steven, Minkey
Corky: Bobbie
WHO IS THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE/MOST ADMIRABLE PERSON TO YOU?
Steve: Jesus, Gandhi, and Ike Turner
Corky: Keith Moon
WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER BE DOING? A) HAVING SEX, B) PLAYING A SHOW, C) WATCHING A PORNO, D) WATCHING MTV, E) WRITING SONGS
Steve: Corky's been lying to you…everything he does in life lends to his potential to a sexually pleasured existence. So don't believe him for a second. Of that list, I'd say "A" by myself, you know.
Corky: I would say four of the five but in the order B, C, A, and then E.
ANYBODY GO TO SCHOOL? MAJORING IN PUNK ROCK?
Steve: School, schmool.
Corky: Went to college for two years and quit to major in Punk Rock.
FAVORITE OUT OF STATE SHOW?
Steve: Green Bay was a blast.
Corky: Reno, Nevada
BEST TOILET READING?
Steve: Woody Allen's, The Complete Prose of…
Corky: Come As You Are
DO YOU THINK TECHNO HAS A FUTURE?
Steve: Oh yeah, there's plenty of somple people to keep it going.
Corky: Is President Clinton loyal?
WHO HOLDS THE RECORDS FOR FUCKING UP ON LIVE SONGS?
Steve: Next question
Corky: Steve
WHO, IN THE BAND, IS MORE PUNK AND WHY?
Steve: I don't know. I'm the "brains", Joey's the "brawn", and Corky's the "let's make lots of money". So I guess me.
Corky: It's pretty equal. We all don't take shit from anyone.
WHAT WAS THE MOST INTENSE FEELING YOU'VE EVER HAD?
Steve: Migraine headache on the way back from Alaska.
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY?
Steve: People blaming others for their own ignorant misfortunes.
Corky: Malicious people and disrespect.
BIGGEST TURN ONS?
Steve: Naked bouncing boobies.
Corky: Great music.
HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR SCENE PROGRESSING? TELL US ABOUT YOUR SCENE?
Corky: That's a hard question to answer being we're not part of any scene.
WHERE WERE YOU GUYS BORN AND RAISED?
Steve: Born in Van Nuys, CA, raised in Compton, Lake Elsinore, and finally Simi Valley, CA. Joey was raised in Rhode Island.
Corky: I was born in Fresno, CA on January 27 and was raised in Canyon Lake, CA. It's a little private community in Riverside County.
HOW OLD ARE YOU GUYS?
Steve: Corky is the baby at 33. I'm 37, and Joey's the "old guy" at 44.
3 WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE BAND?
Steve: Kinda like Loverboy
Corky: Joe- Dorky, Steve- Retarded, Corky- Spastic
IF YOUR GRANDMA ASKED WHAT YOUR MUSIC WAS LIKE, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT?
Steve: I'd tell her it's "Satanic Sex Rock" when she inquires.
Corky: I would tell her we're kinda like Garth Brooks.
Interview with Steven Pilace (lead singer and guitarist from the Gain). Questions by Wayne Bauer. Interview done at Steven's house. Corky Pigeon (drums and vocals) was sleeping and Joey Travers (bassist and vocals) was watching the Basketball All-star game. Pictures by Bobbie Starr and special thanks to Tim Lang.
First of all, what is The Gain all about? About having fun and breaking things.
Are you mods or punks? Uh…, no we're monks.
What is your definition of Mod? My definition…Well, it's so rooted in tradition, there aren't many ways you can take it for anything other Than what it is. It's style, fashion. It's not music, there's no such thing as mod music, though Pop-Art was a mod invention. The way you walk, talk, the scooters, the dancing, are all accessories to add to the clothes.
What's your definition of Punk? There are so many types of punk I would have to define them all for an adequate answer - however they all seem to agree to dislike the mainstream commercialism and social traditions. Punk to me is a style of music, fashion, and attitude - how's that?
What do you think of the whole "punk revival"? Well, I missed it the first time 'round, the Pistols and all that, at least I can turn on the radio now and enjoy it.
What bands do you currently enjoy listening to? Today I listened to the Lambrettas, and John's Children. My favorite new band is Zoinks!, I'm really into them. They are really cool guys too.
How do you define rock and roll? I don't know.
What characterizes a live Gain show? Lots of jumping and Joey breaking the club's ear, and Corky sweating like a wild ox and me singing the wrong lyrics while people in the audience scream obscenities.
Who are your fans? People we put on the guest list.
I noticed you have a 7" record on BRRAPP records called Quadroburbia. What's that all about? It's about 3 songs long - The title Quadroburbia is stolen from two movies, Quadrophenia, a movie about mods, and Suburbia, a movie about punks. "Quadro - Burbia"…get it? I think it describes the sound of the record and the vibe.
Do you use Kleenex to blow your nose or your shirt sleeve? SP: I'll do what I have to do to get the job done.
What's the weirdest gig you've ever done? We did a show in Long Beach at a place called the Barwinkles. I didn't know it, but it was a total trendy, shit dancing, bell bottom wearing nipple meatmarket. Some punks came to see us and they said, "why are you playing here for these shits?" We said we didn't know it was going to be like Soul Train but since we're here, we'll blow their ears out. We played like 3 songs and they told us to leave after a fight broke out. It sucked, all these fat chicks were dancing to us like we were playing Snoop Doggy Dog or something. The club said they'd love to have us back some other time.
What is the "perfect" Gain show? A perfect show is a really fun show - even is we sound terrible. If the audience is enjoying it, then I'm happy.
What's your all time favorite album? All time favorite...(lots of thought) Album…(more thought) I don't know. The vinyl version of Snap by the Jam is great or Setting Sons by the Jam or Sell Out by the Who. We Are the Paintermen by the Creation. - I don't have a favorite. I also like the first two Dickies records.
If someone threw up on your shoes, how would you react? I wouldn't want them to feel uncomfortable. I'd probably pretend not to notice so they might not get embarrassed.
So you believe in fucking on the first date? I don't go on dates.
What is your all time favorite movie? Broadway Danny Rose by Woody Allen. Pulp Fiction is pretty cool.
What's the club scene like in LA? It's a lot better with clubs like the Sellout and other punk clubs opening.
What are your thoughts on the current state of the record business? Indies are giving majors a run for it now, but it's the same thing as it's been for years, the majors will get a piece of everything 'cause they've got the money.
What's your definition of success? Well, our goal is to be the next Night Ranger.
What's your definition of "sellout"? I'd say a sellout views money more important than integrity. When money changes the way you write music. I think you've fallen into that category.
Will you be releasing a new record soon? I hope so - We've got enough stuff recorded for an LP. I'd be really happy to get some of it released soon. Even though "Quad" is only 2 ½ months old.
If you could destroy anything in the world, what would it be? All those gang-banger types, with baggy pants and all.
Name the most irritating thing in the world. A nagging chick, the evening news, and work.
What do you usually do when your underwear rides up your butt? If there's a girl around, I'll ask her kindly to remedy the problem. If I'm alone, however, I might find myself dragging my butt around like a dog - you know how they do that?
What's been the biggest influence on The Gain? The biggest influence on The Gain is all the great music we hear.
What are your plans for the future? We're going on a small tour up North to play with Zoinks! and a show with the Queers. We will release a new record, and hopefully, make enough money for BRRAPP to put out more records.
OK, first of all, the only reason I went to see The Gain last Saturday night was because Jack told me that Ricky Schroeder of "Silver Spoons" fame was the drummer in the band. Shit, I can't miss this for nothin', I thought as I rustled up the six bucks it cost to get in. Memories of the "Silver Spoons" episode where Ricky wears wraparound sunglasses and attempts to dine n' ditch to impress his new punker friends cam rushing into my mind as I quickly locked up the house. Bounding out the door, I wondered if maybe any other childhood stars such as Gary Coleman, or red-headed Danny Cooksie of "Diff'rent Strokes" fame would be there. To say the very least, I was slightly more than extra excited as we jumped in the car and sped off towards Hollywood and the Café Bleu.
Won't you imagine, then, my utter dismay when, at 9:00 PM, the Gain jumped up on stage and there was no Ricky amongst them! I turned to punch Jack the liar in the arm as hard as I could, but as I did, the Gain fucking exploded off the stage in a frenzy of very loud power-pop craziness. They were really good- not any of that emotional, 'I'm bummed out' shit- just lots of raw of energy and goofiness mixed in with a bunch of metal-inspired guitar licks and such. As if this weren't enough, by the time they finished I figured out that the drummer, though he was no Ricky Schroeder, indeed used to be a member of the "Silver Spoons" cast! He's the blond-haired and four-eyed kid who came over to Ricky's house with Alfonso to play Tempest and stuff. I think his name was Freddie on the show. Needless to say, I was ecstatic upon coming to this realization, so much so that I rushed over to the bar and began to celebrate heavily. As I explained to Jack how much I loved the Gain and how indebted I was to him for bringing me along, this poofy haired, glam-rock guy sitting next to me broke in and said: "Man, all I can say is that you should have seen 'em back in '92 when they were seriously rockin', man.". Confused, I asked him what he meant by that, and he continued: "Man, back in those days they used to be called Then Again, and Steve (the guitarist) used to play a zebra-striped guitar with a scalloped neck for faster licks. They used to dress more like me, you know, hairspray and spandex, biker boots…" Giggling under his breath, Jack asked him who they sounded like back in those days. He replied, "Oh man, they were kind of like a combination of like Warrant and Steve Vai, you know, real fuckin' rippin' stuff." Upon hearing this, I didn't laugh out loud like Jack did, but I did just about fall off my barstool. By now the glam guy was confused, so I quickly remedied the situation by asking if he had any taped of Then Again that he could hook me up with. He replied, "Sure, man, give me your address and I'll send you a copy of a tape I've got. I'll even put some of my band's new stuff on there too!" "OK," I said, as I wrote my PO box number on a bar napkin, thus beginning my journey into the fascinating L.A. glam-rock scene. Accordingly, look for my scoop on White Lion next month; or wait a minute, was it Whitesnake?
The Gain have been around the LA area as much as they possibly can for nearly 3 years. Sometimes as much as 4 times a week. If you want to check out the Gain and have the opportunity, definitely go see them live at one of the countless times they play out. They have developed quite a reputation for being one of the goofiest live bands. Thus far, the Gain have been on 2 mini tours and released 4 7"'s and for some strange reason the Gain attracts a wide range of audience. Maybe it's because of their silly ass personalities. Let's take a look…
MRR: WHY DON'T YOU GIVE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF HOW YOU 3 ENDED UP TOGETHER AS THE GAIN?
STEVE: I'm not gonna answer a stupid ass question like that, who wants to read about that shit.
CORKY: I think we can give you a quick rundown. We've been jamming together for nearly 10 years.
STEVE: 10 years, he always says that. Me and him (Corky) have been jamming since high school. But that's not when the Gain started. The Gain started about 3 years ago and the original band name was Chaka Kahn, but we had to change the name because it was taken.
JOEY: Don't like, it was originally called Scared of Chaka Kahn and then we found out about Scared of Chaka (everyone busts out laughing)
STEVE: We originally had a different bass player, then a year later Joey entered the picture and we've hated the band ever since.
JOEY: The Gain didn't officially start until we released "quadroburbia" and played our first gig at Carlos and Charlie's on the Sunset Strip.
STEVE: Terrible dorky club.
CORKY: Our name then was Menudo, you may have heard of us.
STEVE: Then a lawsuit found its way into our spirit…again.
JOEY: And now the Gain laundry detergent is coming out.
STEVE: So we're thinking about calling the band Zoinks!
MRR: I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEFINITELY A LIVE BAND THAT NEEDS TO BE SEEN. WHY DON'T YOU DESCRIBE YOU LIVE INTENSITY?
STEVE: We just try to act as retarded as possible.
MRR: AND I THINK THAT DEFINITELY COMES ACROSS LIVE (group laughter)
STEVE: The more retarded we are, the happier we play.
CORKY: That's why we we're asked to play the national anthem at the Special Olympics.
JOEY: No, but a typical Gain show is like eating 3 bags of Pop Rocks and downing a bottle of Coke.
MRR: YOU GUYS DEFINITELY SEEM TO BE PIGEONHOLED AS A MOD BAND. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
STEVE: Well, mod is fashion sense that me and Corky like. I mean if it weren't for the band I think I'd still be doing that.
CORKY: That kind of separates us from everyone else.
STEVE: That's the fashion that I like, and I'm really inspired by the music that made me pay attention to that fashion which is the Who, the Jam, and that's gonna show up in the music.
JOEY: I mean obviously these two grew up with that, but that's not my background. I was more into punk rock and some metal.
CORKY: I was more into punk rock/mod/pop. The whole fuckin' thing.
STEVE: I was into that, then I got into Iron Maiden…it was the best show I ever went to. I saw them on the "7th Son" tour.
JOEY: Yeah, I used to listen to Killers, Number of the Beast, all that shit.
STEVE: One of my punk friends turned me on to Iron Maiden.
JOEY (with a smile on his face): Can I say in the interview that I just got my chicken strips?
MRR: SURE, WE'LL LET EVERYONE KNOW WHAT THE GAIN FOOD OF CHOICE ID. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU GUYS JUST GOT BACK FROM TOUR WITH SCARED OF CHAKA. WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TOUR?
CORKY: I think the highlight was definitely partyin' over at Blag's house in San Francisco.
STEVE: I think the highlight was coming within 1 hour of my house and knowing that I was going to be home soon.
MRR: WHAT, YOU DON'T LIKE TOURING?
STEVE: No, I hate it. Let me be honest about the tour itself. The tour ruled, Reno ruled, Gilman St. ruled, we met a lot of cool people.
CORKY: We didn't get to play at the Bottom of the Hill gig.
JOEY: Yeah, that was the only show that we missed that we really wanted to play. Because they couldn't fit 4 bands on the bill. For just a short tour it seemed like there were just so many cool things that happened.
STEVE: Yeah, like when you got pink eye and when you got jumped at the Cobalt show. (everyone laughs)
JOEY: I tried to manhandle some kid who was trying to steal a t-shirt and then 3 weeks later he tried to jump me.
STEVE: One week he's the bouncer, the next week he's the bouncee. No, so everyone that came out to see us doesn't think that I hated playing the shows. The half hour or so before and after as well as playing…lotta fun, lotta fun. But the sleeping in below zero weather…
CORKY: It was colder in the van than it was outside.
STEVE: Let me tell you about the van. I tried to sleep in the van one night. So I was trying to fall asleep drinking a Dr. Pepper that I got at Burger King or something that night.
MRR: YOU MEAN IT WASN'T A SNAPPLE? (EVERY TIME I SEE STEVE WHEN THEY PLAY, HE ALWAYS HAS A SNAPPLE IN HAND)
JOEY (grinning): The only time Steve wasn't drinking a Snapple.
STEVE: So where everyone else was sleeping it was nice and warm, but crowded, and I wanted to be by myself. So I put the Dr. Pepper down and tried to go to sleep and in the morning not only were the ice cubes the exact same size as when I went to sleep, but the top layer of the drink was frozen.
JOEY: As far as the touring goes, Nathan from LA ruled. He was our roadie, the merch man, driver. He helped us out a lot.
MRR: WHEN DO YOU GUYS PLAN ON HITTING THE ROAD AGAIN?
STEVE: I just talked to Zac from Zoinks! today who are a bunch of cool guys, except the drummer, who is a retarded asshole (in reference to the Zoinks/Gain split 7" in MRR #154) (group laughter). No, Zoinks are a bunch of really good guys.
MRR: STEVE, WILL YOU STOP KISSING PEOPLE'S ASS? HOW DID YOU GUYS END UP HOOKING UP WITH ZOINKS!?
JOEY: We went up to play with them in Reno and Steve had their record and we were excited to play with them.
MRR: OUTSIDE OF LA I HEAR THAT ORANGE COUNTY IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO PLAY?
STEVE: Orange County can bite my dick.
CORKY: Yeah. We were playing a show there and they yanked the mic out of my drums.
STEVE: I didn't know we were gonna show up and they were gonna film Soul Train that night.
JOEY: We were supposed to play with the Grabbers, and if they would have played it probably would have been fun. But I think the Grabbers know a little bit more about the OC scene and that's why they canceled.
STEVE: If you have baggy pants on don't even bother showing up. Skateboard, football jersey wearing, Pennywise, Bad Religion- listening people, don't bother.
CORKY: Yeah, I hate Orange County. None of them have record players either.
JOEY: I don't really have a problem with those bands necessarily, it's just that most of the people that go to see these bands, the bands have become their punk icons or something. I have a problem with these kids who just got into punk like a year ago who just heard that band.
STEVE: Then they have to go and show how punk they are because punk is in. I mean there are some cool bands coming out of OC like the Spooky. The place is just not my scene. They can go and listen to Pennywise because we're not gonna be there.
JOEY: Yeah, we're having fun at their expense. They are the ones that are staying through our set and not going anywhere. The joke's on them because we're having fun.
CORKY: We'll bust into a Buzzcocks song and they won't even know it.
STEVE: They can tell me how punk they are when punk is pop. Pistols, Clash, Damned, Buzzcocks. It all derived out of pop music. Where did punk come from? It came out of pop music. Exploited weren't the first punk band. Here's what it all comes down to: in terms of classification, they classified these bands as punk. But all it is is pop music. Simple melodic, aggressive music. If you want to learn where punk came from, take a look at the Who. The Who is the very first punk band and at the same time the very first rock band. I mean half of these kids don't even know a Who song.
CORKY: I think the kids just need to go and puck up the old records before they go spouting off at us for not being punk.
MRR: WHAT'S THE BIG GAIN/RENO INFATUATION?
JOEY: Reno rules, it's set up by competent people.
STEVE: Yeah, people like Pete Manchetti/ the Stickerguy and Zac.
JOEY: It's because we've always played with great bands out there. The Queers, Anti-Flag, face to face. The great part about Reno is the sense of community where everyone supports everything that comes their way.
STEVE: The scene is actually run by the scene.
MRR: WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON HOW THAT DIFFERS FROM THE LA SCENE?
STEVE: The scene out here isn't run by the scene, it's run by booking agents and money hungry companies. You have to find the right places to play.
CORKY: Yeah, Hells Gate, Jabberjaw, the Troubadour.
STEVE: No, don't even put the Troubadour in with those other clubs. Last night we played with the Mr. T Experience and didn't even get paid.
JOEY: I think what the problem is, is there's too many bands, clubs, too many people and too much to do.
CORKY: In Reno it's just one event happening on a given night, it's not like 150 events spread out across town, like it is in LA.
STEVE: You know what, I'd rather play LA any damn day than play Orange County.
JOEY: OK, right now I'd like to say "hi mom" and say "hi" to all the Rhode Island street thugs.
MRR: WHEN YOU GUYS WERE KIDS AND WOULD THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANTED TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP, WHAT WAS IT?
STEVE: I wanted to be John Lennon
JOEY: I always wanted to be a soldier because I was so into guns and shit, you know. But when I was getting into music, I always wanted to be a rock star. I was heavily into Rush.
STEVE: He wanted to be Gene Simmons.
MRR: YEAH, I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY YOU WORE THOSE BIG BOOTS ON STAGE, JOEY.
STEVE: You KISS retards, I always hated KISS. I remember when I was growing up, all my friends were into KISS and AC/DC. AC/DC I like, but I always hated KISS.
(NEXT WE BEGAN TALKING ABOUT THE MEDIA'S IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S LIVES)
STEVE: Call me old fashioned, but I don't like all the stuff that MTV and 90210 promotes. I think people should just think for themselves.
JOEY: I see everyone as just following what all the advertisers and these TV shows are plugging.
STEVE: I actually sat through an entire episode of 90210 because this girl wanted to watch it and all it is…is mind candy for the air-headed, entertainment for the simpleton! Everyone has their own favorite shows. I like America's Funnies Home Videos.
CORKY: Yeah, I like that show also. It shows real life.
STEVE: There's something real disturbing about affairs and crises being entertainment. All they're doing is saying that' it's OK to be a fuckin' cheese-ball richie.
MRR: CLOSING COMMENTS.
STEVE: Just where people can get ahold of us at. (Steve gives Simi Valley address)
JOEY: No, don't give that address
STEVE: Why?
JOEY: Because I take care of the shit man. You let the shit pile up and sit there.
STEVE: There's nothing piled up. I check the box every day.
JOEY: I'm on top of it and we're gonna do this the right way. Put the Cantlay address in this thing.
CORKY: Well, we can't really put two addresses.
(They continue to argue about what address will go at the end…)
THE GAIN HAVE FOUR 7"s FOR SALE AVAILABLE FROM THE ADDRESS BELOW FOR $3.00 PPD.
THE GAIN DISCOGRAPHY: -QUADROBURBIA 7" (BRRAPP RECORDS), -YOU SHOULD KNOW 7" (DEAD BEAT RECORDS), -split 7" W/ ZOINKS! (RHETORIC RECORDS), split 7" w/ SCARED OF CHAKA (702 RECORDS).
THE GAIN, PO BOX 3805, SIMI VALLEY, CA 93093
ENEMA: What do you think about everyone saying you're mod, like in your record reviews and stuff?
Steve: I like it. I think it separates us from everyone else. I think it helps us.
Joey: It might not be in the traditional style as far as the music goes. But that's cool, we're taking it to another level.
Corky: Opening another door I guess you could say.
ENEMA: What do you think of Reno?
Steve: Reno's rad!
Joey: Reno reminds me of home (Boston). In California all the houses are new fab, new wave houses. The ones here are well built homes. Great craftsmanship. And you have basements in Reno. We don't have any basements in California.
Corky: Plus there's lots of shows.
Steve: The only thing I really know about Reno is from what we've got coming up here for ZOINKS! and stuff. So far, it's rad.
Corky: We've had a really good response.
Joey: Yeah, you guys have a nice little scene.
Steve: We wouldn't be up here if it weren't for ZOINKS!
ENEMA: What do you like most about being in a band?
Steve: We're just doing it for the cause! (NOFX joke)
Joey: No, it's just really fun. It's a really positive thing. It's a blast. I'm having so much fun.
Steve: And you get to meet a lot of people and bands.
Corky: You get to hear new stuff all the time.
ENEMA: When's your next release?
Steve: It's already recorded. But I don't know when it will come out, it depends on how much money Brrapp, the label we have, can get together. It shouldn't be too long. Maybe in May.
Joey: Yeah, just a couple months. The new stuff has a little harder edge to it.
Steve: It's real poppy though, and we're doing a split with ZOINKS!
ENEMA: What do you do outside The Gain?
ALL: Work
ENEMA: What was before The Gain?
Steve: Me and Corky were in band long time ago with some other guys, but I won't get into that 'cause I don't want to name drop. And Joey was in Queensryche.
Joey: Yeah, for like six months. I couldn't get the make-up down so they kicked me out.
ENEMA: What's ahead?
Steve: Pretty much just the split with ZOINKS! and playing shows. That's about it.
Joey: Put out more records and stuff.