January 22, 2002
Interview with Anton Newcombe
By: Nolan Gawron
Boston Weekly Dig
[Nolan]:
Obviously the record label has changed to the intriguing name of The Committee
to keep music Evil, why the name? How does it feel to be on your own label now
after the problems you had with TVT?
[Anton]: It feels great to be making
records, that's what I do after all, sure there were problems at TVT (but hey
Guided By Voices jumped ship too) but they also did a lot for our band so it is
bitter sweet.
[Nolan]:
I know you are a big proponent of keeping music
real, did TVT try to fuck with the integrity of your music? Has the experience
given you an extra justification to remain true?
[Anton]: At first they were like anything
goes, then they thought the music I was making was not representative of my best
work. I do not agree. But, I will remain true to myself no matter
what.
[Nolan]:
Did your tribulations with TVT postpone the new
album?
[Anton]: Yes it did.
[Nolan]:
You recorded a rendition of Charles Manson's
Arkansas on the Bringing it Back Home EP, talk about your fascination with
things evil and the philosophy to "Keep Music Evil."
[Anton]: Well, I am not "fascinated with
evil" as you say, rather I am fascinated with everything except censorship by
local or national governments, I am even less in love with the idea of
multi-national corporations deciding what I should or should not want for my
life.
[Nolan]:
Give us an example of what you're doing for "the
good of evil."
[Anton]: I am being great, the problem with
you people is just that you do not understand the difference between good
and great. Is god good? No he is great. Learn to recognize greatness.
[Nolan]:
When did music become evil and who are the
greatest villains in rock?
[Anton]: Music is not evil, what kind of
Taliban bullshit are you talking about? The great evil doers in rock are the
record companies and the lawyers, the publishers and clear radio, the magazines,
the payola, the agents....none of which even like real music in the first place.
[Nolan]:
Your sound is rooted in the sounds of 60ís where
love prevailed and yet you express this interest in being evil, how are you able
to penetrate the classification through the paradox?
[Anton]: That's not true, you are off on a
tangent, I think we need to get back in focus. I am preoccupied with matters of
love and love lost. I almost never sing about building or food.
[Nolan]:
At the same time, your new album seems to have
more "love" songs on it, are they evil love songs? Or is love just evil?
[Anton]: No they're just songs, I work in
the medium of the heart.
[Nolan]:
On Bringing it all Back Home Again you have the
quote "God knows I do the best I can, so fuck everything" and on the new album
"The only thing in the middle of the road is dead animals and dumb Americans,
"what other words of wisdom do you live by?
[Anton]: "Don't drink water, fish fuck in
it."
[Nolan]:
Why the death dates after the attributions of your
quotes? Are you reborn or prophesizing death?
[Anton]: Actually, those are life force
dates, as if it has taken everything I have experienced thus far to complete
this work. You just see life backwards, negative, come on man "think out
of the box"
[Nolan]:
Is your favorite "treatmentî" still l.s.d. ?
[Anton]: I wonder, I love life. That's
all, and besides, the truth is the strongest mind altering substance known to
man, it's harder to score than d.m.t. and you probably will get a longer
sentence if you get busted with it in your possession.
[Nolan]:
Put in order of importance: Sex, Drugs, Rock and
Roll.
[Anton]: I think Ian Dury got it right the
first time
[Nolan]:
Why is Jim Jarmusch on the album cover?
[Anton]: He asked the same thing... because
he is punk. He deserves a little praise, if he got the cover of time
magazine, all of those copies would just end up in the dump, at least you can
sell my cd's on e-bay if you don't like them.
[Nolan]:
You thank someone for saving your life in the
credits, what was happening?
[Anton]: I was addicted to heroin, Bob
Timmons, Dalles Taylor, and Harold Owens all help me in ways that can only be
repaid by helping others who might find themselves in the same situation.
[Nolan]: You also thank "this fucked up country for making you the man you are today," what did America do to you? What do you hate about America?
[Anton]: I know it is popular to wave the flag right now, but give me a break, does that mean we let our government off the hook and write them one colossal blank check to do what ever they feel? No, I stand by my word. It is our government, we are not it's people. You fucking people better think.
[Nolan]:
What else do you hate?
[Anton]: I don't hate nothing but hatred.
[Nolan]:
It's said that you've been through 40 different
band members, and I'm sure it's gone up since that was written. Are you a
difficult person to get along with?
[Anton]: Yes and no, but how many people
have worked for Capitol Records or Reprise, or Warner? It's the nature of
the biz.
[Nolan]:
How does LA help or hinder the creative process?
Is it harder or easier to get things accomplished than it was in San Francisco?
[Anton]: I am able to have my studio here
and have a place to live, sadly the dot-commies ruined that in SF.
[Nolan]:
My friend saw a show a couple of years ago in LA
and it was shortly after you had relocated there. Anyways, he said that
the whole band was new and you were teaching them how to play the songs just
before they played them, and by the end of the night people were hurling
tomatoes on stage, what was that all about?
[Anton]: Actually, I was playing an acoustic
show with Miranda Lee Richards (she ended up getting signed to Virgin right
after that) and Jeff D. and Jeff L. decided to jump up on stage and start
wanking. Some one tosses a tomato at Miranda & I, that's when I placed my
hand gun pointed on a stool facing the crowd. The bottom line is they
tossed a piece of food (are there starving people in the world?) and I walked
away with fourteen hundred dollars, some of which I gave to charity.
[Nolan]:
Have there been stranger on stage experiences?
[Anton]: Yes all the time, go to bjm@yahoogroups.com
and people are talking about it them all the time. I don't want to give
anybody any funny ideas. Can we talk about the music please!
[Nolan]:
How many people will be on tour this time around?
[Anton]: Six plus the plain clothed
security.
[Nolan]:
As the front man of a band with such notable
onstage antics, how do you feel you relate to your audience?
[Anton]: I move as the spirit moves me.
[Nolan]:
Is there a need to catch the audience off guard and
blow their minds or does that just come naturally?
[Anton]: I just hope to be able to transcend
the dullness that is this modern world. to entertain, to touch people and
make them feel something, anything, come on people, give me a hand here!