Stereoboard Talks About Heavy Metal, Horror Movies And Chuck Norris With Wednesday 13 (Interview)
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Written by Alec Chillingworth
It was cold, it was rainy, and it was just damn miserable. It was a Saturday evening in Nottingham, and whilst Wednesday 13’s devoted fans stood outside Rock City looking like a gaggle of lost, leathery sheep, I sat down with the man himself. In a suitably warm dressing room, I might add.
You’re back in the UK. It’s horrible, disgusting and filth-ridden; we can’t seem to get rid of you! What makes you keep coming back?
It’s been my place where I pretty much started. I mean, I did start out here, as far as Murderdolls came out, which is pretty much when people heard who I was anyway. That all started in 2002, and the UK was a place that embraced the band most, and first. Ever since then, it’s always been, like, the home away from home. Y’know, the fans over here have always embraced what I do, and when I left Murderdolls and did my solo stuff, I still had a ton of fans over here. I’ve been very fortunate to have the UK, and I love it here. It’s awesome; I think I’ve been here more than I’ve been home lately, and I love it. What can I say? I’m lovin’ it. McDonald’s.
Because you love us so much, would there be any possibility of a UK festival appearance in the pipeline this year?
Y’know, the festival thing I would love to do. I’d love to be on all the festivals, but financially, for what we get offered to do it, it’s kind of impossible to do. I’m not on a label this time round, and the last time I was on Roadrunner, and they definitely helped out with all that. And there’s just so many bands and you’re always trying to fight for the top slot; unless you’re one of the top three headliners then you just have to fall in line with it, and unfortunately we couldn’t make it work financially. But, y’know, it’ll happen eventually. I was hoping this year, but… We’ll get ‘em next year, kids!
Your new album, ‘The Dixie Dead’, has been hailed as your best since ‘Transylvania 90210’. It seems a lot heavier than most of your other work; what inspired this heavier approach?
Oh yeah, I mean what I listen to now compared to what I listened to when I did the ‘Transylvania’ record has changed completely. I listen to so much stuff now; I was so closed-minded before, and I only used to really listen to glam and punk rock. And I would judge bands! Y’know, if I saw a bunch of guys with beards, I’d be like “Pffft, I ain’t listening to those guys. They don’t look cool.” But it’s weird, now I listen to more bearded bands than un-bearded bands. But y’know, it’s just the way I was. It was the same with the bearded guys; they looked at the glam rock guys and were like “Hey, they suck!” But now, I listen to Slayer as much as I listen to, y’know, Ziggy Stardust or something. But for this record I listened to a lot of heavier stuff, and I just always go back to writing heavier riffs; it just seems like a more natural thing for me. That’s the sort of stuff I’ve been listening to lately, so the next record is probably going to take a further step into that realm as well.
Do you have a favourite song off the new album, and if so, why?
We were talking about this last night, and I don’t think I have a favourite! Y’know, this was one of those records when everyone was saying “What are you gonna play? What’s gonna be the single?” and I was just like, “Um… I don’t really care. I kinda like all the songs.” But. Y’know, I guess that ‘Hail Ming’ is one of my favourites and is fun to play live. But all the ones we’re playing live tonight... I dunno, I can’t pick one.
You’ve basically ruled out possibilities of a new Murderdolls album. Could we possibly hope for a one-off reunion show at some point in the future?
You can hope! (laughs) I mean, it was unfortunate... That band is the reason why I have a career, and I’ll never take that away from them. It was awesome with all the times we had with it, but it’s just every time we did it... Y’know, with the first record, we had this momentum going and then it just had to come to a stop because Slipknot had to get going again. And the same thing happened with the last one; we made this great record and were doing all these cool tours, and then the Slipknot thing came up again. So y’know, I was just constantly working so hard and then getting knocked back down again. So for me, I’m getting older now and want to focus on my Wednesday 13 stuff, but again, I don’t know. I don’t want to build people’s hopes up and say that it’s gonna happen, but I don’t see it happening any time soon. People are just gonna have to live with what we did, and I feel that we went out on a high note. It was fun and I wouldn’t change anything, but I don’t think it’ll be coming back from the grave.
You’re a notoriously busy artist; you’re always doing something. Recently you mentioned ideas about a film. Would you be able to tell us anything about that?
Well, it’s all just an idea now. Early, early stages. I kinda had the idea for a movie and I’m gonna start on it soon and hopefully be done by the end of the year. It’s based on the song ‘The Dixie Dead’, and if you wanna know what it’s gonna be about, you can pretty much read the lyrics to that and get an idea. It’s gonna be like a Southern-fried hillbilly zombie movie, and I’m gonna get back to North Carolina and film it. But we’ll see; I’ve never made a movie before. It could be awesome or it could really suck… but in a good way. I dunno. We’ll find out! As far as I know it’ll be a direct to DVD thing, unless amazingly I pull off some masterpiece and people wanna see it in theatres, but who knows. I never made a movie before, but I never made a record before either, and people got behind that. But, y’know, as Lemmy says, ‘Run up the flagpole and see who salutes it.’
You’re quite a niche musician.
What word is that? Niche? Five dollar words, be careful! (Laughs)
Okay... You’re an acquired taste. How do you find ways to keep reeling in new fans?
Yeah, it happens! The older fans who I’ve seen for ten years are kinda going back towards the bar now and the new, young fans are always up the front. I don’t know, I think it’s because I’ve never followed a blueprint. It’s like with the new record; you can see how it goes from hard rock songs to metal songs, and then at the end of the record it’s almost kinda punk. There are no rules with it, and I think that’s what keeps people coming in, because it is such a mix of styles. I think that’s what keeps it fresh for people; I’m not beating the same dead horse. Well, I do a little bit, but that what keeps it Wednesday. Like, no matter how much I change the music, even if it’s super heavy then still have the lyrics to tie it in. That’s what I think it is. That’s my guess on it. That’s my scientific guess.
In the UK, our tabloids and TVs have been bombarded with an annoying American couple. Do you have any idea who Heidi and Spencer actually are?
Uhhhhhh. Refresh my memory. It sounds sorta familiar.
They’re from a TV show. I think it’s called ‘The Hills’?
I don’t think I know who they are... What’s so bad about them?
They’re just a bit manipulative and they seem kinda sleazy.
And they’re in your press? (Puts on gruff, deep voice) YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THEY’RE TAKIN’ UP YOUR PRESS? (Laughs) I don’t know about them, I would love to comment but I just don’t know who they are.
Well they went on Celebrity Big Brother and said that every American knows who they are... They lied to us!
Well... If I don’t know who they are then they ain’t shit. You can print that! (Laughs) I know everything... I’m a know it all! (Laughs) Check out the naaaaametag.
My Dad thinks that the Honey Badger is the hardest animal on the planet. Can you think of another animal, pound for pound, that could beat it in a fight?
Another animal? Chuck Norris... Chuck Norris could kick its ass. Actually, probably not. Someone asked Chuck Norris if he would fight a bear once and he said “Hell no”. And that’s true. You can look that up. Even on Pay-per-view, million-dollar price tag. He was just like “nope”... Howard Stern offered it to him. True story. But anyway, I don’t know any animal that could beat a Honey Badger other than maybe a Crocodile? That could give it a run for its money. They do the death roll. The death roll’s exactly what it sounds like. (Laughs) So that’s my guess. Crocodile, Alligator. Whatever.
Do you have any final words for your fans in Nottingham?
Just thank you. Thank you for the years of support, and I’m sorry that I can’t control the weather. But I promise that when they get in, it’ll be nice and warm, and I’ll rock their socks off. Wooh!
Check out Stereoboard's recent review of 'The Dixie Dead' here and a live review of Wednesday's Nottingham show here. The UK tour continues tonight in Wolverhampton.
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You’re back in the UK. It’s horrible, disgusting and filth-ridden; we can’t seem to get rid of you! What makes you keep coming back?
