Flipside Interviews Necros

You all should know about the Necros by now, if not then you didn't read the interview we ran in F.S. 29. So for all the newcomers they are: Barry on vocals, Todd on bass, Andy on guitar and Corey on bass. I've had the great pleasure (?) of talking to Barry and Corey a few times on the phone and thru the mail so it was real interesting for me to finally get to interview this band. Time: Necros first tour to the West Coast - Place: Some big house owned by Daphna of Unicorn Records in the Hollywood Hills - Present: the Necros, the Misfits, various roadies and hangers on and various people who lived there. Needless to say the interview got very loud and funny with lots of inside jokes, laughing and insults. Barry was bummed because Glen Danzig kept razzing him and in the end we decided to scrap this interview and do it some other time. Fine. BUT - I'm gonna summerize what's on that 90 minute tape, because it really was funny and a lot of it didn't get covered the second time around. Here it is:

Andy: "I like this house, nice place, it's got a pool in the back", all the Necros are eating, Corey broke his ankle and foot skating a pool in Denver, Necros' first gig of this tour was Sept. 23 in Akron, their 1st gig in their home state! Barry on the people at the Discharge show at the Florentine: "A million clones... I get bummed by the way people look and act" a comment comes up about "turning them over and using them to sweep up the floor", they really liked the response to them at Bob's Place, but not the mess after, Andy: "Don't print anything about Banana War". Glen brings up the famous personality Rona. Barry: "I don't spread rumors, fuck you" is Barry's reply. Later we secretly taped Barry on the phone talking - but not spreading gossip mind you! Barry on the name: "Beyond what Necros means, it's a lot more original than any name I've heard in years - it doesn't mean 'fucking the dead', it means 'death'". Corey: "The name just popped up before we were even a band". Food. George Germain. Song writing. Corey's videos of various bands and the "Todd and Andy Show". "How come you only have L.A. bands on the cover?". Social Distortion fucking them over. Barry talks about Smegma Journal (his fanzine): "I put my support to bands that are good and don't suck..." says he won't review stuff that sucks because it's a waste of time, besides people don't think his opinions are valid because he is an another band... that he might just be picking on other bands because of the bias. What he did with the records that suck: "Before they even come out of the plastic I take them down and trade for what I really want" or says Andy "Barry wanted to keep them all so I'd break them in half and stuff them under the carpet!" Maumee Wines where they hung out and worked. Corey burps. George Germain. "Rear Deliveries". Barry: "Look, I needed the money... so what, so I got my dick sucked in a movie". Corey: "Ah Barry, you got fucked up the ass". Barry: "Listen I got a cameo appearance, it was cool, with big Johnie Holmes". I don't know anything about this because I don't know how serious they were - but I do know Barry was in the porno movie "Rear Deliveries" - I saw the t-shirts. Andy: "We're old enough to shave". R. Moore. Video games. Barry on drunks rolling around on the floor at Bobs: "It was disgusting, they were fucking lame people. We're not a straight edge band... we don't write songs about not drinking - I don't" Barry says he never smokes, drinks or takes drugs - Andy drinks - Todd skates - Corey runs Touch and Go records, Corey burps and they all went to see a movie. I was starving and went home...

Ok, the next day I talked to them and we agreed the interview was not done in the best of conditions sooooo... we did it again at a great skate place Glen Freidman took us to. We skated and then sat down - all alone and yacked away and here's what was said:

Glen: What do you think of the kids out here as compared to Ohio?

Barry: I like the skate kids alright...

Andy: I don't like the Limey punks...

Barry: I don't like those guys at all, those guys are sheep.

Glen: Do they have any in Ohio?

Corey: There's nothing in Ohio. There's a few in Detroit.

Barry: That's our scene. That's where we hang around Detroit.

Al: What's the big deal with people who want to look that way?

Andy: It's America remember.

Al: But it's also their own choice.

Barry: There's nothing wrong with it but they really do look the same, even more so than the skinheads... it's a reflection of their mentality, it's sheep mentality and I don't like that.

Andy: All they think about is getting their daily water and walking around a grassy field. That's all sheep think about!!

Al: Are there any spike head bands you...

Barry: I like Discharge... G.B.H. are good. The point is they're the kind of bands that innovated that look... they were the first people I saw with that look anyway...

Corey: How can these American English punks relate to so much of the Oi thing that is going on over there? How can they relate to the National Front or the Dole?

Al: I don't think they are trying to relate to that stuff - it's more like they just like the bands and put them on their jackets without thinking about it that much... how many skaters do you think put Black Flag on their skate for less reason than that?

Corey: I think tons of people do that kind of shit, but I think they shouldn't, I don't like when they do it. But I know a lot of people who put our stickers or Black Flag around that know what we are about...

Al: Because you know those people, but you don't know these "Oi" people that you are putting down. Some of them are sincere!!

Corey: I feel kids around here can relate to us better than some English band singing about English problems, but you can relate to however you feel but...

Glen: Sincerity is everything! Just so they are sincere about it and it's themselves and that's all that fucking matters! But I don't see how people can like that music, it's so dry, it's so plain...

Barry: Ok a lot of those bands are real stiff... like Discharge is probably the ultimate English band - but they get on stage and you think they're gonna go off, you think they're gonna be the English equivalent of Black Flag, and what are they? The guitarist and bassist just stand there, sure they mean it on their faces... I love their records, I've loved that band for 2 years but so what, on e good band that whole night, the Misfits.

Andy: I'm in no position to judge anybody I don't know that well. Ok, that's it...

Al: Well the same thing happened when like Black Flag went over there...

Barry: Because they're into bands that pose. Vice Squad suck!!!

Al: Fuck it, let's talk about you guys.

Andy: Ok, I don't care what anybody thinks about me, I just groove on it - Motorhead is the best English band though...

Glen: A lot of bands are into politics or totally against politics, are you guys...

Corey: Just against fake politics.

Barry: The whole point about what we write, about what I write is, ya know I'm not gonna limit myself to things I cannot write about. I mean the only limit I have is that I can't see myself doing certain things. I can't see myself writing a song about being happy...

Andy: Or hating Reagan...

Barry: That's not as important as saying ok I have these emotions, these negative emotions and here's the situation where these emotions came out - here's a song about it.

Corey: We're not political for the sake of being political. "I hate Reagan, fuck Reagan," I hate bands like that.

Tood: Just so people have fun.

Barry: Right I want them to have fun but I want them to think...

Corey: I want them to feel the way I do. And I want them to feel something when they leave the shows too.

Andy: Like "God I had fun."

Al: Well, it helps to get the message across if they do have fun as opposed to...

Corey: Yeah like if they walk out saying that show sucked then obviously...

Andy: They won't get the message...

Barry: And they'll blame their lack of fun on us. But I don't want it to be some fuckin little beach party where they're all jumping around going "Ohhhhhh! Everything's really groovy" scratch that, "Everything's really great!" I'd like them to think, I'd like them to be aware of a lot of things.

Andy: Like we all want to get laid after!

Barry: We have songs about living for yourself and not worrying about other thoughts condemning you. I'm into that, we have a song called "Satisfy" about everything I do is to satisfy someone else and wow how fucked up that is, the whole point is fuck that - live for yourself. Or not only live but think. That is the way I feel no matter how naive that may be.

Al: But you don't want to label that as an "anarchy" band?

Barry: No! Fuck that!

All: No wayyyyy!

Corey: When we play we don't want people to leave with like "Anarchy on their minds but just like "I had fun at the show tonight, these guys were really intense." Cause when we're done playing I feel something I don't feel any other time from doing anything else. Like I almost get sick sometimes. I don't feel bad, I feel like I've accomplished something and I feel relaxed - something I can only feel after we play.

Andy: I feel like I've taken a shit, seriously!! Like all fresh and ready to go.

Corey: Like after you've been driving and you have to take a shit, and you feel really good afterwards.

Al: Why did you react so strongly when I said "Anarchy"?

Andy: It's so stupid...

Corey: So many people are into anarchy and they don't know what it means or they're just doing it to be trendy and I think that does suck!

Barry: That means I should be able to go up to any person with the A circles on their jacket and go "Gimmie money" and take it.

Corey: Or gimmie that jacket. I'm bigger than you, there's no cops around, we're in anarchy now. Their ideas suck! In N.Y. they have all the A's circled on their jackets but if you walked up and mugged one of them they'd cry for a year.

Al: What is that supposed to mean?!?!

Barry: Anarchy, no rules...

Andy: Ok in an anarchy state if I want your tape recorder and Flipside I could take it or kick the shit out of you.

Al: That's not my interpretation at all...

Grant: That's the trendy way to see it, that is not how Crass...

Barry: Crass are fucking beating their heads against the wall, I used to love 'em I'll admit, but how many times can you say "Fuck the system" when you're just singing about it? So what! Anarchy now and peace. Who cares?

Corey: How many kids are gonna go home form their show and do something about it? With stuff we sing about maybe they will go home and say "Hey maybe I can do something about the way I'm living. I don't think that many kids are that radical to hear a band singing about anarchy and want to go home and fuck the system.

Al: Ok, how did you like your first show in LA?

All: Great, we liked it, we were surprised nobody knew the first song cause it was a new one but it got a good response, the stage could have been bigger...

Andy: Oh, the girl in the front with the Exploited t-shirt - write me!!!

Barry: I didn't know if people even knew who we were. People were going "Hey Barry" and I'm going how the fuck do they know what I look like? It's cool.

Al: You just look like out of towners!! Ha! I saw you guys eating salads, are you into eating healthy things?

Barry: I am.

Todd: I eat anything.

Corey: I'm with Todd, I eat anything but...

Andy: If it tastes good, it's good for you!

Corey: ...but when I decided to eat something good for me I got sick.

Barry: I was short of money and for like $3 I got the makings for a killer salad...

Andy: At home I do eat good - salads, V-8 juice, I don't drink coke...

Todd: I eat shitty all the time...

Al: So you're recording an album out here.

All: Yeah, midnight tonight.

Corey: No 8 songs with Spot at Music Lab, that won't be the whole album...

(Talk about the Freezer in Detroit, which is closed now, and the City Club which sucks...)

Corey: So for the last 6 months I've been trying to open up a place, we've got the building, it's a big building. We could do big shows there, and we're gonna have a removable wall so we can do small shows and make it feel full and stuff. And it's gonna be legitimate. We're gonna get the right licenses and do it right.

Andy: It seems in Detroit the police have better things to do than worry about kids at the shows. There was only one time that police came to any gig, and that was the last Freezer show.

(Talk about the gigs they've seen here and how it compares, and back to Bob's Place in Watts...)

Al: How did that neighborhood compare...

Corey: The Freezer is in a bad neighborhood but nobody lives there anymore, it's like 100% black but they're a lot more mellow, they're mostly older and there's no problems with the younger kids. But at Bob's Place, it was a Freezerish show...

(Andy goes into all the details about problems with the locals who were stealing cars, stealing form cars, beating people and generally being uncool...)

Andy: After everybody was gone, there were about 30 people there and people kept coming in with bloody faces for just trying to leave the club, so we had to call the cops to break everything up for us to even get out the door with our money. I'm sure they were waiting.

(Now Corey tells more details about the Circle Jerks getting their stuff ripped off and Andy getting a girl's purse that just got stolen...)

Al: You can't be totally anti-police if you do end up using them.

Barry: We're anti-asshole police.

Corey: Being totally anti-police is as racist as being totally anti-black...

Al: Who were the people causing trouble at Bob's Place?

Corey: It was an all black neighborhood and it was all black people who were starting the fights, they were being racist, I heard "whitey" being screamed quite a bit.

Al: Racism is a two way street...

Barry: It was like they took it as an invasion.

Corey: Yeah, but I didn't hear anybody yelling "nigger".

(Andy relates how the locals in Detroit don't act the same way as locals here)

Al: Where have you been skating?

All: Here (Kenner School).

Barry: Santa Monica ramp. We got to meet a lot of people we've always wanted to meet like Jay Adams and Jay Smith and a lot of other people like Merrill...

Al: What do you guys do for money?

Corey: I work in a Lumber Yard!!!

Andy: I worked at Maumee Wines until 4 weeks ago, now I'm a male prostitute! Corey works, Barry reads the mail, I eat salads, Todd mows lawns...

Corey: Barry is the Touch and Go records factory worker!

Andy: I'm into 14 - 16 year old punker chicks!

Al: How far and serious are you gonna take the band - will you do it as your living or what?

Corey: As long as it still means something. If I still feel the way I do after we play then I know it still has meaning for me. Whatever it means to anybody...

Barry: It's the one thing I like to dedicate most of my time to.

Corey: If it gets to be a hassle and we're not having any fun doing it then we'll stop, but right now it's cool!

Todd: It gets more fun the different cities that we play.

Corey: This has been a real good experience touring.

Andy: I thrive on it.

Printed in Flipside #36 (1982)