 It`s
useless to say that I had opportunity to contact one of my very
few personal guitar heros from the powerful band that admire
the most at today`s global Loud Rawk Scene. To avoid all generalities,
here`s the impression list:
JOHN GONELLI – guitar hero answers provoked bye bye baby
fan Angelo Jurkas
DOP: Hey Jon. Thanx in advance for letting us enter the world
of the most intensive rock sound blasters in the American
music scene. If there were perfect soundtrack for filming
documentary footage of vampire world blitzkrieg attack, I`d
pick on your single «Lipstick Game» as the nr. 1 choice.
What are you guys? Walking napalm bombs? Where all that energy
and riffage comes from?
WE JUST TRY TO WRITE SONGS THAT WE THINK ARE GOOD.
DOP: How and when did the madness started? Considering the
sound you produce, of course…
WE STARTED PLAYING TOGETHER IN 1993. WHEN WE WERE 16 YEARS
OLD.
DOP: Last time I remember to see name of the city you came
from, New Yersey as the rock `n` roll mecca, was as the title
of one of the Bon Jovi` albums. Is there any particular reason
and social background why the greatest heavy, rock, punk band
on earth comes from the streets and highschools of New Yersey?
THAT"S WHERE OUR PARENTS ARE FROM SO THAT"S WHERE
WE WERE RAISED.
DOP: Was there any plan in your heads how you have to sound
like before you started the band? Who was the most challenging
influence and music hero? Led Zeppelin on 45 turns? Punk version
of AC/DC? The Jesus Lizard? Those are just first associations.
Please, Jon, help me carry on…
WE HAVE AT NO OF MUSICAL INFLUENCES THAT HAVE BEEN CONTINUALLY
CHANGING OVER THE PASSED TEN YEARS. ZEPPELIN, AC/DC, AND JESUS
LIZARD ARE CERTAINLY THREE OF THEM BUT THERE ARE COUNTLESS
OTHERS. EVERYONE IN THE BAND HAS DIFFERENT INFLUENCES THAT
SHAPE WHAT THEY CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SOUND. EARLY ON WE WERE
INFLUENCED BY BANDS LIKE SLINT, RORSCHACH, NATIVE NOD, BORN
AGAINST, NATION OF ULYSSES, MELVINS, BIG BLACK, RAPEMAN, SHELLAC,
PIXIES, SLAYER, A LOT OF STUFF ON TOUCH AND GO, ALOT OF STUFF
ON DISCHORD, COMBINED WITH THE MUSIC WE WERE RAISED ON AS
KIDS. GUNS AND ROSES, MOTLEY CRUE, METALLICA, CLASSIC ROCK
THAT OUR PARENTS TURNED US ONTO LIKE DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH,
PINK FLOYD, ETC. THE LIST IS TOO LONG.
DOP: Not that it matters a lot, cause whatever you say it`ll
still be fantastic genre for itself, but when fans and press
wants to put you in some category, how do you respond? Is
that punk that you play? Is that rock? Hard core ripp offs?
I can hear blues also in some tunes. Or it`s just amazing
adrenalizing feverfull loud and fast guitar music? What are
your beloved claims? As, if you have to put yourself in position
of the fan or the journalist who saw something phenomenal
in front of him, what would you say…
I WOULD SAY, "I LIKE THIS MUSIC BECAUSE IT SOUNDS GOOD
TO ME." WE'VE NEVER BEEN ABOUT CATEGORIZING OR LIMITING
OUR SOUND. WE WRITE MUSIC THAT WE THINK SOUNDS GOOD. WE WOULD
NEVER WANT TO WRITE THE SAME STUFF OVER AND OVER AGAIN. RYE
COALITION HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT MUSICIANSHIP FIRST AND FOREMOST,
CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION AS WELL. WE WANT TO CONTINUALLY
CHALLENGE OURSELVES TO BECOME BETTER MUSICIANS AND TO WRITE
THE SICKEST AND HEAVIEST SONGS WE CAN. CATEGORIZING OR SAYING
WE NEED TO SOUND LIKE THIS BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT WHAT SOMEONE
WILL THINK WOULD DEFEAT THE FOUNDING PRINCIPLE OF OUR BAND
AND WE WILL NEVER OPERATE LIKE THAT.
DOP: How hard is to survive on American indie music scene
over the years without the strong media support and marketing
influence of big discograph companies? Becouse you still record
for indie labels.
Where there any interest in signing some majors?
SURVIVING ON YOUR OWN WITH YOUR OWN MONEY IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
WE'VE MANAGED TO BE EXTREMELY LUCKY OVER THE PASSED TEN YEARS.
WE'RE STILL A BAND AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THE HELL WE'VE MANAGED
TO MAKE IT WORK. I THINK THERE ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT HAVE
HELPED US. GERN BLANDSTEN, FOR ONE. TIGERSTYLE. OUR FRIENDS
AND FAMILY HAVE ALSO BEEN A MAJOR FACTOR IN SUPPORTING US.
WE WOULD NOT BE AROUND ANYMORE IF IT WEREN'T FOR THEM. SIGNING
TO A MAJOR WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD ORCHESTRATE THE DEAL
AND HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OVER WHAT WE DO.
DOP: You have recorded 3 full length albums so far. Which
one you like the most and, by your opinion, is the most representative
one? The one you should take on your date when you decide
to impress Christina Martinez (Jon Spencer`s Boss Hog wife)
or Britney Spears.
You know, after hearing for example the «The Higher The Hair
The Closer To God» she (either one of those two beauties)
should serve you for a lifetime.
ON TOP IS OUR BEST ALBUM TO DATE BECAUSE IT'S OUR BAND COMING
FULL CIRCLE. IT'S OUR ORIGINAL LINE UP HOW RYE COALITION WAS
BORN AND MEANT TO BE HEARD.
DOP: I think, while listening to your records, that you`re
full frontal band. Very rare. Unfortunatelly, still undiscovered
by the huge masses. Emotinal and sincere in what you do. Can
you make your living in the «land of the free, home of the
brave» only from music writing and selling albums?
Can you speak in numbers when talking about album sales one
by one?
IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAKE A LIVING FINANCIALLY OFF
OF RYE COALITION. THERE IS JUST NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO SUPPORT
OURSELVES, MEANING WE CAN'T PAYU OUR BILLS. WE ALL HAVE SHITTY
DAY JOBS.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE SOLD MANY ALBUMS. ON TOP HAS SOLD ABOUT
FOUR THOUSAND
DOP: Very funny lyrics. Ironic, spontaneous, sarcastic and
very «South Park». How does the process of lyricsm goes?
USUALLY LYRICS JUST COME FROM JOKES OR ATTEMPT TO TELL STORIES
OR PAINT PICTURES OF CERTAIN CHARACTERS THAT WE HAVE COME
ACROSS IN OUR DAYS AS FRIENDS
DOP: And music that you wrote. Who`s the greatest composer
in the band? Who`s the wildest one? Or you just jamm and the
ideas come by the grace of Lord?
IT'S A COMBINATION OF IDEAS THAT WE COME UP WITH INDIVIDUALLY
AND JAMMING AND PLAYING TOGETHER
DOP: How does the audience reacts on your pretty wild live
shows? Do you gain some kind of cult status in America or
do you feel that you`re highly appreciated from this side
of Atlantic?
EACH SHOW IS DIFFERENT. RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON TOUR WITH QUEENS
OF THE STONE AGE AND THE AUDIENCE RESPONSE HAS BEEN GREAT
DOP: Name some of the bands from today`s global rock scene
that you admire and few that you consider as fakes. For example,
Hives versus Strokes. New Bomb Turks versus Vines, White Stripes
versus Rye Coalition, Girls Against Boys versus Ikara Colt…please
continue or just pick from the named ones…
WHO CARES… ALL OF THEM…AND NONE OF THEM…
DOP: Your standpoint about the pirate web music share sites.
From Napster, Kazaa, Winmx, etc.. Approve it or…Does Rye Coalition
have more advances or damages of it?
I SAY IF WE CAN GET OUR MUSIC TO AS MAY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE
I DON'T CARE HOW IT GETS THERE. SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE SUFFER
FROM PIRATE WEB MUSIC AS YOU CALL IT
DOP: Rye Coalition videos?
WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN ANIMATED VIDEO ON OUR NEW EP JERSEY GIRLS.
I THINK IT'S AMAZING. THE PEOPLE AT MTV THOUGHT IT WAS NO
GOOD
DOP: Future album plans…studio materials, how long can you
last and how long we may expect to enjoy theat brilliant and
intensive music that 5 of you produce?
WE ARE GOING TO RIDE THIS MOTHERFUCKER UNTIL THE WHEELS FALL
OFF. WE STILL HAVE NOT MADE OUR BEST ALBUM. WE HAVE BEEN ON
TOUR ALOT FOR THE PASSED YEAR AND A HALF. I WOULD SAY EXPECT
A NEW FULL LENGTH FROM US SOMETIME IN 2004
DOP: And finally, how about the fact that there is a band
from Croatia named Karpis and they play cover from «The Higher
The Hair The Closer To God» and it`s in their version called
«Samson».
I THINK THAT'S REALLY AWESOME. AT LEAST WE KNOW THEY HAVE
GOOD TASTE IN THE SONGS THEY CHOOSE TO COVER. I WOULD LIKE
TO HEAR THEM.
DOP: May we expect you in Croatia ever?
YOU NEVER KNOW
DOP: Thanx for your patience and understanding, Jon. I`m a
still only the biggest fan from this area that you`ll ever
imagine to have.
THANK YOU.
JA |
