WATCH ME BURN INTERVIEW:
interviewed by FondaThis US based grindcore band had already made a mark in the UG scene. A killer music and a killer FEMALE vocalist in which she proves women have a place in grindcore!
SARAH or "SAWA" – vocalist
RUSTY – drums
KEVIN – guitarist
RUSS – bass
I was able to interview their guitarist Kevin. So here it is:
1.) Horns up to Watch Me Burn! So how's WMB now a days? Busy with gigs and promotion of your demo?
Horns up my gooey fiend. WMB is doing great, we're just getting ready to release our new record, which will be called "At The Stake" a split label release by Vomitcore Records and Puke Records, answering interviews, writing new material for the next record. We just got back from a weekend in Mexico, where the scummy Cops/Federales told that the neighborhood we were filming in was unsafe for us, and they proceeded to extort (steal, rape us) for over $400.00...fucking scum bags. So after I finish this interview I plan on heading back to Mexico and assassinate every Federales that I come across. At least we all came back alive, but still, those fuckers stole our hard earned money.
2.) Man, we will back you up! I will send Bin Laden and his Al Queda troops to kill them all! Hehe. That’s pretty fuck-up story. Anyways, back to my intie. Can you give us a short detail on how your band started and what's behind that band name?
WATCH ME BURN started in November of 2001, with the intent to mix sludge/doom with the fierceness of Nasum and Brutal Truth, the psychedelic of GASP, the thrash if early Slayer, with a hint of Fantomas and Melt Banana. No real meaning behind the band name, I just blurted it out one day at an early practice, everyone else liked it, so 5 years later, here we are, tearing up the stage whenever we can.
3.) Yep, 5 years and still banging the scene! Did you guys really planned WMB to be a grindcore band? Or did it end up having your music sounding like that?
At first, the idea behind WATCH ME BURN was to be a doomy/sludgestoner rock band, but as I started writing faster riffs, and turning the other guys onto some grind stuff I was into, we just kind of went that direction. We still play really slow paced songs, interject some melodic/psychedelic stuff to keep it interesting, because if all you do is play fast, then there isn’t any dynamic to your art, and you fall into the same rut as everyone else who just plays fast.
4.) Well said, I do agree with your statement. What are the variations you added in every demo? How can you compare your very first demo to your latest one now?
The first 3 song demo was done after a few short months of us being together, the songs were written really fast, but they definitely showcased what we were all about, the new stuff has more melody, different tunings, allot more quirky, heavier, noisy, schizophrenic, were messing with dynamics, plus everyone is writing together, instead of one person just showing up with a song. We keep it open all the time, until we are all happy with the final version of the song.
5.) All your demos are great, so send me your new one as a gift =). I know you have another band FETUS EATERS and DEAD FOOD right? So how about the rest of them?
Rusty (drums) plays in a few other bands, "Cleansed" and "Arrhythmia", and Russ (bass) plays in wacked out band called the "Curtis Jackson Trio", as well as "Arrhythmia". Our singer SAWA is not in any other bands, but does allot of photography, and is amateur gardener.
6.) I am into photography as well, gardening? I cannot imagine! but that’s great. Do you guys go wasted before performing or after performing? Favorite alcohol brand?
Now and then one of us will have a little to much to drink, I know I am guilty of that, we may have a few beers to loosen up the nerves. Favorite alcohol....hmmmm. Well, Russ and I lean toward Absinthe, SAWA likes beer, she used to be a snob about it, Rusty, he doesn't drink all that much. I'm also a fan of Cognac, Jagermeister, Whiskey with Michelle.
7.) Absinthe is a killer man! Cognac is ok as well. But I quit already coz I got sick +(. So how did Sawa discovered that she have a killer vokills? It's like trying to vomit out all her intestines! Any indecent proposals?
Since Sawa is not here, I will answer it. SAWA and were hanging out years ago, and I was doing vocals for a Fetus Eaters releases, the idea came up for her to contribute vocals to one of the songs, so we hooked up the mic and had her do her thing, her voice was killer, so from there we talked about starting a band. People yell out shit at shows "show us your tits", typical male crap, usually from a guy who showed up alone, and has no friends, but that's when Russ and I show our ...lack of tits, it usually gets a laugh from the crowd. There is one fan out there who has a tattoo of Sawa on his arm, he got the picture from a promo shit, crazy shit man.
8.) Haha! Be proud of your tits guys! That fan is totally obsessed with her! So were there any changes in your band line-up from the beginning until present? Did it ever came to a point that you want to call it quits?
Nope, all original members, if anyone quits, this band is over. At points, we all get very upset about things, but no one wants to quit, we all in it to win it!
9.) Good thing you guys stick together still!. How does it feel having Sarah as your vox? Advantages and disadvantages? (like trying to stop men fanatic from chasing Sawa!)
Sawa is a tough woman, and can take care of herself, she has allot of friends who care a great deal about her, so she is always safe from the idiots. As far as advantages, well, she has sex appeal, so guys wanna check the band out, girls dig on her as well for the same reason, some girls look up to her for being a female vocalist in a male dominated genre of music.
10.) She is already an icon, same goes to WMB! Any unforgettable performances? How about embarrassing moment that you want to share?
Playing with Pig Destroyer, Graves At Sea, the sold out shows, the shows where people are going crazy stage diving, crowd surfing. The bad shows are when I have been completely hammered and can't even tune a guitar. There was a show in L.A. with Cattle Decapitation, and some guy was basically murdered in front us before the show, I saw the life leaving the guy, that kinda fucked my headspace up for several days.
11.) Damn, Pig Destroyer and Cattle Decapitation?? You are making me jealous! Nothing is terrifying that seeing someone getting murdered while performing, pretty shit. Do guys have regular jobs besides playing in a band? What do you do during your free time?
Sawa does photography, Rusty is an audio engineer, Russ works in special effects, and I run Vomitcore Records, as well as doing my culinary espionage, In our free time, I am always working on music, doing re-mixes of Cephalic Carnage, Impaled, Godstomper, Bad Acid Trip, or doing some artwork, sleeping.
12.) That's great to hear! I didn’t know man that you own the Vomitcore records! Great.How about bands you wish to perform with? Who's the band WMB idolizes so much?
We've been lucky enough to have played with allot of favorite bands, but we'd love to play with Brutal Truth, Nasum (r.i.p.) Naked City (r.i.p.) Slayer, Melt Banana, Neurosis, Fantomas, Melvins, the Locust, Khanate, SUNNO))), Goatwhore. We don't idolize anyone, except ourselves.
13.) Great Bands you mentioned man! Define Watch Me Burn in one word.
SEXYVOMITCORE
14.) Haha! Very appealing! So do you guys believe in God, Satan or the… err Priest?
We believe in ourselves.
15.) Safe answer, hehe. Which do you prefer, money or fame? Or fuck it both?
We'd all love life long financial security, as for fame, there are different versions of it, I mean, people know about us all over this planet because of the amount of work we have done to get ourselves exposed, but hey, both would be great, it's comes with it's price, but let us have it, we'll take it.
16.) What's your point of view on MTV? or any other stereo-type media or record companies?
I referee to MTV as Empty V....get it, fuck that channel, it's just one long commercial for products that don't concern us.
17.)I agree! I cant remember the last time I saw Mtv shit. What if Pres. Bush wants you to perform in the White House… what song would you like to dedicate to him and why so.
I say we play either "At The Stake" or "Roadkill".....cuz that moron should be put to death....well, he's juts a puppet, that cocksucker Dick Cheney is the one controlling all this shit, the last 6 years have been so fucked because of their policies and right winged idiocy. I don't vote, because when I have voted, those fuckers told me it didn't count, so why waste the time. If they had a "none of the above" box on the ballet, I would vote, until then, their laws don't apply to me.
18.) Haha! Fuck politics! Hey, do you guys have Filipino friends who also play in a band there?
We have contacts in the Philippines, we play with a band out here in Los Angeles called Flattbush, they are fucking awesome, I believe they have a Pilipino background. I've had co-workers from jobs who are Pilipino, cool people man.
19.) That's flattering to hear man. How about performing in the Asian underground scene, especially Philippines, any plans so that we can book our flight now? =)
Haha, we would love to head over to Asia and play, but we don't have enough money at the moment to do that, plus our contacts over there haven't offered us a tour yet, hopefully soon, know we all want to go to Japan really bad.
20.) The world runs because of the money, suck it! Thanx for giving me the opportunity of interviewing you guys! Any last messages for WMB supporters?
Thanks for all the kind letters you guys and girls send, thanks for supporting us for the last 5 years, keep spreading our brand of Vomitcore to all your friends and neighbors, the new record is almost done. Thanks for the interview.
Band Email: kevinfetus@hotmail.com
Band Official Websites: www.watchmeburn.com or www.myspace.com/watchmeburn.
You can also write us at
Vomitcore Records
C/O WATCH ME BURN
P.O. Box 6488
Burbank Ca 91510-6488
All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine.
More power to your Watch Me Burn!!! Up the Irons!
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