 |
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| Let's face the music: the 1980's are
back. For me, it really isn't that surprising as decade resurgences
work a lot like clockwork. In pop culture, the 80's are back big
time. We're doing our part to go retro and time warp you back into
November 1984. It was in this month that Steve Niles, Mark Haggerty,
Geoff Turner and Jeff Nelson (the musical group "Gray Matter")
recorded their first album "Food for Thought". They would
record another album and then "break up." Three of the
four founding members stayed together and with a new drummer formed
the band "3." Gray Matter eventually got back together
to record their final album "Thog" in 1992. Not much
has been heard from then since - until now. Read my exclusive interview
with Steve Niles below. It's mad phat crazy cool. |
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"That
'80's Steve" Interview
by John Lawrence
JL: Who made up Gray Matter (and what instruments did they play)?
SN: Geoff Turner - Guitar and vocals. He's here in Los Angeles now.
In fact he's coming over tonight to mess around with my PlayStation 2 (strictly
for work purposes of course!). Geoff still does music and plays with a
band called "New Wet Kojak" with the guys from "Boys Against
Girls". Mark Haggerty played guitar. He's up in San Francisco now
and plays in a band called Shanty. On drums we had Dante Ferrando who is
now the owner of The Black Cat Club in DC which is also partially owned
by another DC HarDCore native, Dave Groel. And for a while Mark left the
band and John K played with us. I don't know where he is now.
JL: Mark Haggerty? Um... that name sounds familiar.
Where have I heard it before (wink, wink)?
SN: He's also a guy who is having some robot-suit problems.
JL: Who made up 3 (and what instruments they played)?
SN: Same line-up as Gray Matter except for the drummer.
The drummer in 3 was Jeff Nelson, co-founder and co-owner
of Discord Records and former drummer for Minor Threat.
JL: Is the band's proper name "Three" or "3", how should
I be referring
to this band?
SN: It's 3 and it's the worst name for a band EVER! It was Jeff Nelson's
idea because he had some graphic ideas. Nelson's a loon.
JL: What did you do? -- I don't recall you answering.
SN: Oh, I played bass, guitar sometimes and whined.
JL: For someone who's never heard your stuff, how would you describe the
music?
SN: Garage Punk Rock.
JL: What's your favorite song?
SN: Of ours? Damn. I don't know. Thog I suppose. That
was always fun to play. Thog and Chutes and Ladders.
JL: Any songs not released?
SN: Tons. There's a whole bunch of stuff Geoff and
I did. 4 track stuff, acoustic, all sorts. Geoff and I
had a studio in our apartment so we'd stay up all night
and record songs and piss off the neighbors.
JL: Why did the band (s) break up?
SN: Both ended in drunken brawls.
JL: What kind of terms are you guys on now?
SN: Best of friends. All of us. I see Geoff all the
time. I'll be seeing Mark when I go to APE and WonderCon.
Dante's getting married this spring so I hope to see him
soon.
JL: Any chance of a new album?
SN: I doubt it. Geoff and I might work on something
sometime, but that's it for now. Discord is releasing an
anniversary CD set and I think we have a couple tracks
on that.
JL: What about a solo album?
SN: You're funny.
JL: Do you listen to your own music while writing/reading
comics? (If, not, what kinds of music do you listen to?)
SN: I don't listen to my own music ever anymore. My
wife listens to the Thog
CD now and then. And actually, I can't listen to
music while I'm working. I find it too distracting. When
I do listen to music these days I listen to a lot of older
stuff like Velvet Underground, Beatles, Stones, old punk
like the damned, Ramones, and Bad Brains. I picked up a
Hank Williams tribute I like, and the new Strokes is growing
on me. I like Beck when he does acoustic stuff. I'm starting
to really get into B.R.M.C. They rock.
JL: Do you miss the '80's?
SN: I miss playing music, but I don't think about it
as the 80's. Besides, except for the punk rock scene, the
80's were pretty fucking lame.
JL: How many pairs of hammer pants did you own?
SN: Not one, but I bleached my hair until my scalp
bled more then once.
JL: Thanks Steve, color me educatedd. |
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John Lawrence
only owned one pair of Hammer pants. He supplemented them
with Skidz and a hot pink checkered biker hat. He doesn't
wear them anymore, but still owns the hat for "sentimental
purposes." |
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