Jam Rag Interview, Winter 1998

THE ELECTRIC SIX IS ONE OF THE more entertaining bands coming from Detroit these days. Hard to actually explain, you just have to witness the madcap adventure that takes place at one of their shows; no-bullshit rock and roll, with sarcasm that rumbles long after they leave the stage.

I interviewed lead guitarist Surge Joebot to get an inside look at the wildest band in town.

Well, I guess I should start out by asking who are the other band members.

Sure. The vocalist is Dick Valentine, the rhythm guitar player's name is The Rock & Roll Indian, the bass player's name is Disco, and the drummer's name is M. Those are our real birth names.

You have an independent CD out?

It's actually put out independently of the band, by the Gold Dollar, Their label I think is called Off Woodward Productions. It's just a live show, it is basically like an unofficial release.

Does it have a title? Yeah, it's called DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE ROBOT. Then there are the 45s. The first is called 'Lost Control of My Rock & Roll.' Then the second one is 'Ballad of MC Sucka DJ,' and the third we appear on Flying Bombs label, and the label put out a surprise package of a Christmas 7-inch last year, and that's us and the Dirtys. There's also an 8-track which we are producing. We actually ran out of our first run of it. Then the facility that we were using was vandalized. But it's up and running again, so the 8-tracks will start popping up in record stores like in the next month or two.

Wild.

And that is called 'AN EVENING WITH THE MANY MOODS OF THE WILDBUNCH'S GREATEST HITS...TONITE!'

And that's an actual 8 track tape?

Yeah, it's got like 30 songs on it.

Wild. Anyway, I've seen your band live twice. The first time at an awards show and the second at the Knack show at St. Andrews. The band seems to be very energetic. Is that the image of the WIldbunch?

Well, we were pretty pissed off both of those nights. We were definitely in hostile territory on both occasions. And reacted appropriately, or whatever.

What was the problem at the awards?

Well, we looked out and it was just a sea of tables, people in evening gowns and formal party attire, and the bands that we were playing with for the most part were generally the enemy, so there wasn't anything left to do but attack And we did.

How did you get on the bill in the first place?

Well, we were asked. We basically just wind up in these kind of situations. It's not like we campaigned for it, or anything.

There seems to be a lot of mention about the Electric Six (formerly The Wildbunch) being cut off early at the Knack show. I was there, and I didn't notice anything being cut short or Interrupted. What's the story behind that night?

That was the thing, because the order to stop playing was coming over the PA, and the friends I had there, I talked to them afterwards and they didn't hear anything either. But after the third song it was like, "The Knack says this is your last song.' And we were like "fuck that." And then we played again and they started fucking with the sound and shit and so we just freaked out. But it was definitely coming over the PA after three songs. The opening band, Fletcher Pratt, no ill will towards them but they played for 45 minutes or something. Then there was a 45 minute break between us and the Knack. I guess the Knack were down in the bathroom getting pumped up and nobody was allowed in the bathroom and stuff, So these are people who obviously have like, whatever they have to do to get through, but they obviously have things they need to work out personally.

There seems to be this underground garage rock scene going on now. Would you say the Electric Six (formerly The Wildbunch) is a part of that?

We're friends with all those bands. I don't know if we're really garage rock. A lot of our recorded output sounds that way because it was recorded in a basement on four or eight tracks. But our influences, we're not influenced by the same bands those bands are influenced by. We definitely like that stuff, but we're shooting for a different target altogether I think.

For instance, bands like Rocket 455 and the Detroit Cobras are related -- do members of the Electric Six (formerly The Wildbunch) have side projects?

Ahh, there's a guy in Rocket 455 who looks exactly like our bass player. But it's not him. So that's the only relationship we have with other bands. We're all friends with them, all very good people.

Yeah, it seems like a cool group of guys to hang around with.

It's pretty cool because I remember when I initially lived in Detroit there was shit going on, and then when I came back in like '95 there was all this stuff bubbling up.

It could be crumbling right now, because I know the Cobras are done and there's talk about the Dirtys being finished. And there's always talk about us being finished. But that's not really up to us. We just kind of receive instructions and we just carry them out. We'll stop playing when we're told to stop playing.

Compared to other bands in Detroit like Robb Roy or the Schugars.

Thats another planet altogether.

Well, bands and the Dirtys, DoIlRods, Cobras. It's just mdrst,40064*e than 'hi ny.

Well, it's just b4siO'A le ' "N ~~ ~7, - y'peo.p e "? ' #7 i I't hink. who listen to bi ftery I mean, I've nev6r *6a,r,cl Robb Roy. I don't know how break it down, but it's just a fundamental difference -- like the one between I don't know, say Monster Magnet and Korn. Or Gary Coleman and Emmanuel Lewis.

I found Dick Valentine to be quite a character on stage. What's his background?, Has he sang with anyone else before?

No, but, he's been doing the Electric Six (formerly The Wildbunch) thing since '95, in different formations. The latest is just the longest running version.

When did the Electric Six (formerly The Wildbunch) form?

We were contracted in 1996, August of 1996.

What do you mean, "contracted?"

We're all basically, and Dick Valentine included -- um, I can't really talk about that. But our first two gigs were on the anniversaries of the Hiroshima bombs.

As far as touring, you went to Europe, didn't you?

No, not in recent memory.

But you have toured somewhere.

Just the obvious places, Chicago, New York, West Coast, Toronto.

Did you open for any other bands?

Yeah, Frogs. It's all horribly fuzzy. But I re"merhber the Frogs because that was this year. That wasn't too long ago. It was a good show.

Any upcoming tours planned in the near future?

No, because right now we are busy working on a movie. It's just basic drugs and sex, and we're going to put the violence in there to get the under-18s in. The trailer should be out soon.

Are you working with people who do film or are you just doing it yourselves?

Yeah, we've got film people working with us.

Will there be a soundtrack?

Well, there's the CD ROCK EMPIRE, which whenever that comes out -- I don't know.

Will that be your next upcoming release then?

If the price is right we'll do whatever we are told. I'm not really sure right now what's going to happen next.

So what does the future hold or the band? Where do you guys want to go with this?

Again, it's not really up to us. We just do what we're instructed to do. They might tell me tomor- row to stop playing with the band and concentrate on terrorism and political assassination. If that's what I'm paid to, that's what I'll do.

Does that sit well with you?

Yeah, that would be good. You've got to vary the portfolio. You've got to keep your horizon as broad as possible.

Right. What about M, the drummer. What's his background?

Anthropology, I think that was his bag.

That's why he looks like such a caveman on those drums.

Right. He's gotten into socialist poetry right now. He did a stint in the big house. Actually that was a big problem - we thought we might be packing it in at the end of the summer because, I kid you not, there was an att6mpt on his life and it actually wound up putting him in jail. He came out, and cut his hair and has gotten into socialist poetry.. You can tell by looking at him. You look at him and say, "That's a socialist poet for sure."

Well, I just saw him in August and he had long hair. Did this just happen?

Yeah, it's more of a bob now.

What did he go to Jail for?

It's directly related to the attempt on his life, and I'm not at total,liberty to discuss this. But the information is out there if you want to. dig. It's a very ugly story. It's actually a former associate of ours.

We have a subgroup of people, the associate team, and it's comp rised of a trumpeter, seven or eight keyboard players - and this one cat was like our announcer, our standup comedian, and he was involved in that. He is, needless to say, not an associate any more. More of a disillusionary, and oh yeah, if he is reading this he'd better watch his back.

This wasn't the same guy who was doing the stage announcements at the St. Andrew's show?

No, that was Safari, he's actually one of the film guys.

I feel like I'm lost because I don't know a whole lot about the band.

Well, we have a web site: [you're there right now.]

I've never made it to the Gold Dollar, but I would like to check it out.

That place is really key to what's happening right now. I think Neil Yee is easily the gutsiest club owner in Detroit. And everybody should give him applause for that.

Who writes the original material in the band?

Dick and the mac'hine. He pumps a series of random words, like whatever he feels should be in the song and gives it the key, and the machine spits the song out Then of course he brings it to us and we try to make'it a little more human. The machine does everything, and we try to make it our own.

Is the band based in Detroit?

I'm in Detroit right now, the band used to be stationed in Hamtramck. But that got ugly, and we were run out of town. So now we're spread out. A couple of us are in Detroit, a couple in Ferndale, a couple in the northern suburbs.

Do you feel the Detroit music scene has gotten better in the last few years?

Oh yeah, like I said, prior to '95 I lived here until '92 and it was awful. Then coming back it was a whole different thing. The first show I saw upon returning was Godzuki, when they released the 'Lonesome Pine.

Godzuki didn't actually play the party. [But] all the bands got up and covered [Godzuki] songs. It was like Rocket 455, Outrageous Cherry, the Fags. I don't remember who else was there, but it was obviou's that there was something tubbling up.

You've mentioned that you came back. Where were you?

Ann Arbor.

Seems a good town for music.

Ann Arbor was horrible. Couldn't handle that shit.