High-School Motherfucks
"I wouldn't listen to any of those Céine Dion type of bawling, shrieking infamous so-called singers."
(Interview with Davy & Stuffy / 04.10.2004)
http://membres.lycos.fr/highschoolmothers/page2.html
First of all, please introduce yourself and your band.
Who are you, where are you from, what kind of music are you playing, etc?
Davy : Well, we're the High School Motherfuckers a...say, rock'n'roll band from
Paris. There are four of us: Pamy, drums and vox, Tony, bass guitar, Stuffy,
guitar, main vox and I, Davy, guitar and vox. In fact we're something that
sometimes sounds rock'n'roll, sometimes glam, sometimes punk and sometimes all
of this at the same time.
Recently Johnny Ramone lost the fight against the cancer
and died. After the death from Joey 2001 and Dee Dee 2002, Tommy Ramone is the
last survivor from the original lineup.
Davy : Most of us have been Ramones fans for very long and we reckon them among
the bands that influence us in many respects. To establish another link between
the Ramones and us, we can say that we had the opportunity to play our first gig
with Jean Beauvoir. O.K., it's somewhat pretentious to say that, but all right,
we're proud of it. It was a great time and Jean Beauvoir is really a great guy.
Your band exists since 2002. Was there a musical live
before?
Stuffy: I play bass in SuckerstarZ with Pamy and before that in Voodoo Smile. I
also played in Love Sikk Junkiez, Beverly, Problem Child etc. !
Davy : Thrash / death metal bands first, then rock'n'roll cover bands (Led Zep,
Hendrix, Stones, etc. covers) and the Motherfuckers now and, I hope, for a long
time. Why not 'til the end ?
Tell me something about your bandname. What's the story
behind?
Stuffy: The name simply come from the Ramones title « Rock'n'roll high school
» !
If I think of France in conjunction with music, first of
all chansons cross my mind. Is there also a punkrock scene or are you an exotic
exception?
Stuffy: There is no big scene in France ! You can find some garage / punk bands
like Jerry Spider Gang, Hatepinks etc. But I don't think there is another band
like us ?! You know with these mix between rock, glam, punk, hard rock etc.
Your EP "Want some?!" is very cool (we already
have made a review). I've read that you recorded 17 songs on the studio. When do
you release the first full-length album?
Stuffy: We change our line up few month ago, so we lost times with that ! But
we'll go to the studio in november to make this a full album !
Will the 5 tracks from the EP be part of the album, or is
it planned to put only new songs on it?
Stuffy: No, you'll find only new songs on the album ! It's why this first 5
tracks cd will be a collector very soon !!
Was it easy to find a record company?
Stuffy: We put out this first ep on my own label, Shotgun Generation Records, so
it was easy to find it !
Most bands say, that studiowork is good, but the real cool
thing is being on stage and play gigs. Am I right, if I think, that this is also
your attitude?
Davy : Yes, you are. Being in front of a bunch of drunk bawling rockers and
playing the guitar for them is a fuckin' way to get the adrenalin flowing. Now,
you've got more time to deal with your case of beer when you're in a studio.
What's going on during a concert? Why should people come
to your show?
Davy : Well, most times, we get pissed and we're unable to play. This is a brand
new original concept. The virtual concert, except for the musicians who puke on
the stage and the first row of the audience. You won't hear the slightest note
but you may get fuckin' filthy. I bet you won't regret your money.
Imagine you will be invited as supporting act for a band
to go on worldtour. With wich band your biggest dream would come true?
Davy : As a long standing Motörhead fan, I would be exhilarated on a tour with
those guys who definitely live the real rock'n roll life. Now, I'd like pretty
much the idea of being the support act for the Backyard Babies.
Stuffy: Mötley Crüe ! Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll !!!
Who in the band is responsible for the songwriting and
where do you take ideas for the lyrics?
Davy : Stuffy, for 98 % of the songs. Then we all work together on the songs he
writes to give them their final shape. But, he is the composer.
For me, the message in your songs is still "let's go
party". Is this right or are there any serious statements, which I've
ignored? How important are the lyrics for you ?
Stuffy: 80 % of the lyrics are in this « let's go party » style when you read
them for the first time, but in front of that, there are some serious stuff
about love, life, past, present, future etc. We have some serious subject but
written in this « funny style ». Like « Will I grow up ? », this is not only
about being kid forever, it's about a guy who have difficulies to find a place
in the society etc.
I suppose that you can't live from the music yet. How do
you guys make a living?
Davy : I'm a fuckin' English teacher in a secondary school.
Stuffy: I'm selling records by mailorder at: www.wildsidemusic.fr.fm and also
have my little record company: www.shotgungeneration.fr.fm !
Please tell us two stories: the best and the worst thing
that happened to you with the band.
Davy : Well, the best thing was when I discovered they were a damn bunch of
alcoholics. The worst was when, a second after that, it occurred to me that I
would have to share my booze with them.
What was the last CD you bought and which CD you don't
want even if it would be for free?
Davy : The last CD I bought was Motörhead's last opus. I bought Zeke's last CD
at the same time. Both are fuckin' great ! I wouldn't listen to any of those Céine
Dion type of bawling, shrieking infamous so-called singers. Those fucking tarty
cows just deserve a bullet in their fuckin' heads so that they won't deafen us
any longer, nor will they piss us off any more with their soapy shitty lyrics.
Stuffy: The last one is maybe the Stryper live CD ! Or a Hellacopters bootleg on
double vinyl !
What do you think about the World Wide Web? Do you use it?
Davy : Yeah, it's O.K., even if it makes it possible for many fuckers to invade
your privacy. However, if multinationals want to send to prison all those who
use cracked software, a fair number of prisons will have to be built ! So, on
the whole, yes, the net is O.K. and of course, we use it quite a lot. First, to
find information about what's going on in the world of rock'n'roll, then to find
venues, contacts and so on. Also, the band's got its web site :
www.highschoolmotherfuckers.fr.fm
How important is it for you, that webzines do write
reviews about your work?
Davy : To tell the truth, I don't know. All right, it's very pleasant to have a
review in any kind of medium. But I don't know to what extent rock'n'roll fans
visit webzines. How many people may be expected to read a review on the net ?
I've got absolutely no idea of that.
What are your favourite 3.....
Bands
Davy: Motörhead and the others change regularly.
Stuffy: Ouah !! Euh... Bon Jovi, Pretty Boy Floyd, Hollywood Teasze !
Records
Davy: No Sleep 'til Hammersmith, Highway Song (Blackfoot), Automatic Thrill (Gluecifer).
Stuffy: Slippery when wet (Bon Jovi), Leather boyz with electric toyz (Pretty
Boy Floyd), Glamdolls in toyland/No flakes (Hollywood Teasze).
Books
Davy: The Lord of the Rings, La Nausée (Jean-Paul Sartre), Jules Matrat (novel
about a French countryman who fights in the First World War).
Stuffy: Anything 3 of Charles Bukowski !
Movies
Davy: 21 grams, Les Tonton Flingueurs, Blade Runner.
Stuffy: Les bronzés, les sous-doués, l'aile ou la cuisse !
Cities
Davy: Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam.
Stuffy: Budapest, London, Kempten
What would you always do, but you don't dare?
Davy : Kill myself.
Stuffy: Kill Davy !
What would you do, if you'd be invisible for one day?
Davy : I would sneak into the house of as many people as possible to watch them
fuck.
Stuffy: I'll go see that with him !!
Which headline would you like to read about your band?
Davy : HSMF release the worst album of all times !
Either....or (if possible with an explication)
Beer or wine:
Davy: It depends on my mood. Both, anyway, depending on the moment.
Stuffy: In this order it's ok !! I like them both too !
Sandy beach or snowy mountains:
Davy: Mountains, snowy or not. The sea is great but sandy beaches attract too
many stupid fuckers.
Stuffy: I like them both too !
Punkrock or glamrock
Davy: Punk rock, definitely. I just don't like glam rock.
Stuffy: Glam rock with a punk rock feeling is the best !
New York or Los Angeles
Davy: New York. The sun crushes everything in L.A. What a wonderful sky in NY
with the interplay of the sun and the clouds. Also, N.Y.is far more interesting
from the point of view of culture.
Stuffy: I never went to America, but I think I'll go visit Los Angeles first.
Zinedine Zidane or Thierry Henry
Davy: None of them. Both can go to hell. Stupid ball-kickers !
Stuffy: Don't like football !
Good-looking girl or intelligent girl
Davy: Intelligent girls, but once again, it depends on how I feel. There are
times when intelligence is not what you're most looking for !
Stuffy: Good lookin' girl for the night, intelligent one for the day !
Nouvelle cuisine or fast food
Davy: Nouvelle cuisine can taste good but you've got to order the whole of the
dishes in the menu if you don't want to feel hungry after the meal. As for
fast-food, what is it but crap ? How can we call those places restaurants ?
They're just good enough to be burnt down.
Stuffy: Fast food, pizza etc. are still ok for me !
Bush or Kerry
Davy: I just don't give a damn about those two. All right, the face of the world
might change, depending on who's the next pres., but really I'm not interested
in the American elections.
Stuffy: I think Kerry, he can't be as stupid as Bush ?!
You could invite six personalities (dead or alive) for
dinner. Who sit on the table?
Davy : George Bush, Adolf Hitler, Augusto Pinochet, Napoleon, Ariel Sharon,
Joseph Staline. And I would serve poisoned food.
Stuffy: Claudia Schiffer, Sophie Marceau, Britney Spears, Nicole Eggert, Alyssa
Milano, Kim Basinger !
I give you a word and you tell us what comes straight to
your minds:
Switzerland
Stuffy: Last time I was there was with the french industrial band Dirge. They
played with Sweet Disease ! We had some good times ! There's lots of good bands
in Switzerland: Crystal Ball, China, Gotthard, Krokus, Shakra, Skyscraper,
Coroner and of course Celtic Frost and the Gutter Queens !
Davy: Messiah, Celtic Frost, Coroner.
The future of rock'n'roll
Stuffy: A mix between glam and punk ! Not the shitty bands like White Stripes
etc. !
Davy: Hopefully better.
Groupies
Stuffy: If they're ok, I'm ok too !
Davy: Delight to my ego.
Brides of Destruction
Stuffy: Nikki & Tracii !! I love them !! Their album was surprising at first,
now I really like it ! « Life » is one of my favorite song !
Davy: Nikki Sixx.
Southpark
Stuffy: I'd still prefer the Simpson but they're ok too !!
Davy: ???
Fashion
Stuffy: I don't really care about fashion.
Davy: Crap
Holidays
Stuffy: Everyday 'till the rest of my days !
Davy: Forever
Ok... so we reach the end of this interview. Would you
like to say something else to our readers?
Davy : Buy our records and make us millionaires.
Stuffy: Hope we'll meet all of them one day !
(Interview by Karin/MEDAZZAROCK)
Questions/Thoughts? (or whatever):