This
past Friday night the Urban Lounge played host to the third
irregularly scheduled Mike Brown Fest. Featuring DJ Chase spinning
old school mixes, The Idiobots making their big debut on the music
scene, and in-house boarding on the main floor. Not to mention the
release of the new issue of Leviathan and the main act of the
night that everyone came to harass.
--- The
Fucktards have been, in every incarnation, somewhere between musical
saviors and club pariahs for years. Almost subscribing fully to the
“we don't care” attitude of early punk, the band will play
through their entire set yelling at the audience, tearing apart
fellow musicians, insulting each other on stage and near daring those
watching to riot. With one of the strangest local followings making
them in-demand and their set being recorded for FuelTV last week, its
clear their reformation was both wanted and needed. I got to chat
with our old buddy Mike Brown again, this time about the band and its
chaotic history as well as thoughts on local music. Plus tons of
pictures from both bands and more of this past Friday's show.
The
Fucktards
Gavin:
Hey guys, first off, tell us a little about yourselves.
Mike:
We are the Fucktards.
F-U-C-K-T-A-R-D!
Gavin:
What got you interested in music, and who were some of your favorite
acts and musical influences growing up?
Mike:
I don't know if you can actually call the Fucktards actual music. I
like Billy Joel and Dan our guitarist likes GG Allan a whole bunch,
so I guess the band is kind of a combo of the two.
Gavin:
How did you all get together to form the Fucktards?
Mike:
We
started about ten years ago at a show at Kilby. Joe, Dan, Paul and
me were talking. We were all best friends and Joe and Dan were
always in bands. Paul said he wanted to play bass in a band with
them. I thought it was a terrible idea so I said "Yeah! I'll
sing and we'll call it the Fucktards." Totally making fun of
them. And a week later they told me to get my ass to Provo for band
practice in Joe's room. That's seriously how we started.
Gavin: Was punk music the
ideal genre you were going for when you started playing, or was it
more something that just felt right with the band?
Mike:
Both.
I've always been in to punk rock. Punk is the easiest shit to play
and seeing how we aren't really that great of musicians, it made
sense. Well, Dan is actually a great musician, he's just drunk all
the time, which is punk as fuck I guess.
Gavin: Do you embrace or
get annoyed with being compared to old punk bands who played shows
and aimed to annoy the audience?
Mike:
It's
funny because I know that we are just ripping off several bands. The
Meat Men probably were the first ones to do what we were doing first.
Fortunately, our audience is so dumb they don't know who to compare
our shit to. Which is fine. When was the last time ANYONE did
anything actually new? So I don't think it really matters. But no
one has ever come up to me and said, "Yeah, I've seen this shit
before. You hack!"
Gavin: I have to ask
because I want to know, what happened at the 2003 show that led to
the original Kilby banning and subsequent breakup?
Mike:
This
is funny. We have it on VHS too. But basically Kilby was trying to
make their club nicer, and bought a nicer PA and built a bigger stage
and moved it into the wood shop where the bathrooms are now, from the
little cozy garage. So we decided to dress our drummer Joe up in his
own garbage, which included old cooked pasta, and all sorts of gross
shit. And when he started drumming garbage went flying everywhere.
Then Ryan Jensen was drunk, obviously. He broke a window and we got
blamed for it. And I threw out wet tampons and candy at the small
but disrespectful crowd. We had more of a “fuck it” attitude
back then. We would break all sorts of stuff at Todd's Bar &
Grill back in those days. And Todd was always too coked up to know
or care. So we just kind of assumed we could pull that kind of shit
at other places. Not true. In a strange way we've grown up a bit
since then. But yeah, Phil asked us not to play there again. The
ironic part about all of it now is that where we practice is
literally where that incident took place. Same room and everything.
We have yet to play Kilby agian. But seeing how our new bass player
Lance owns the whole place, I have a feeling that could change. As
far as breaking up goes... it was mostly because Joe our drummer
didn't want to do it anymore. We actually broke up like, three or
four times before that. And one of the things that made The
Fucktards work was how lazy and casual we were about everything. It
was like if one of us didn't want to do it then we weren't going to
do it or be mad at each other. I mean, we started the band just to
get free beer at bars. So no big deal if we stop. That attitude was
part of what made it fun in the first place.
Gavin: Before SLUG's
20th Anniversary show, was there talk of
bringing the band back or had you considered it done from there? And
what led to the reformation?
Mike:
I
considered it done, dead as doornails. It had been a really long
time. Paul, our old bass player had moved to California. Joe didn't
want to drum for us anymore. Dan was/is always drunk. And I didn't
see myself having time or motivation to try to put it back together.
I figured let our little legacy die where it was. Besides, I didn't
see the Fucktards working out how I'd want it to with other people.
It just didn't feel right or even possible. But then Lance originally
brought up the idea of getting the Fucktards back together. I knew
Joe wouldn't drum. But out of respect I asked him to anyway, and I
would have loved to have him back in the band. Lance said he would
play bass. Dan was down seeing how he doesn't have a job and needs
something to do anyway. And finding a new drummer was kind of a pain
in the ass but it all came together. The anniversary show was a
great way to kick things off, and seeing how we had a place to
practice now, it's worked out.
Gavin: How has it been for
you playing with the new members and the reincarnation of the
group?
Mike: Its been good! Me
and Dan had to show Lance and Brian, who used to play bass in Fuck
The Informer the songs, and honestly we had to re-learn everything.
It was kind of refreshing to start over. Brian quit/got kicked out
recently, on good terms though. And we got a new drummer, Dave, who
has been hammering for Punk bands for years. When we used to play
with The Corleones, Dave was their drummer. Mike Brown Fest 3 was
our first show with him. And he's a good fit. But finding a drummer
has been the hardest thing.
Gavin: What's the reaction
been like from old fans and new now that you're back to playing
gigs?
Mike: It's almost a
completely new fan base. Its rare that someone comes to our shows
because they saw us play at Todd's ten years ago, you know? There
are a few old time punk lifers that remember, but it's rare. So it's
awesome to get a fresh response in a way. We are fucking over and
taking advantage of a whole new generation of idiot hipsters and
elitists. It feels nice.
Gavin: Are there any plans
down the road for an album?
Mike:
Sort
of. Like I said, the nice part about having your bass player own a
venue and a record label for that matter is that we have access to
those kinds of resources that we never ever had before. That's some
luxuries that most bands don't have. So we've been kicking around
some ideas for recording. Nothing set in stone as of yet, like who
would do it. Other than it would be on Kilby's record label. I
think it will happen. But seriously it could be like a year from
now.
Gavin:
A bit state-wide, what are your thoughts on the local music scene,
both good and bad?
Mike:
Overall things are good. My biggest complaint is that things seem
boring right now. It honestly could be that I'm saturated in the
same Urban Lounge indie hipster scene and that I'm too old to know
where the cool shit is. I've said this before and I'll say it again,
I want the Fucktards to be the gun that goes Columbine on our boring
scene right now. There are some really great local bands right now
but they just keep doing the same shit. I like the idea of people
coming to a Fucktards show and seeing something different every time.
All these local Alternative country bands that are so hot right now
are really starting to put me to sleep. Every time I see them, its
the same crowd, same people, same pussy, etc. I haven't seen a local
band blow me away like the Red Bennies did or The Corleones did back
in the day. Like I said, I could be looking in the wrong places.
But yeah. Shit is stale right now.
Gavin:
Is there anything you believe could be done to make it bigger or
better?
Mike:
As far as making our scene bigger and better, I don't know what could
really be done. I think Utah's population and isolation make it hard
for things to really grow. There are bands from here that have “made
it” and i think the isolation factor here breads a lot of people to
be creative that normally wouldn't be. But there's no competition to
motivate people in certain artistic mediums, music being one of them.
Like, if the Fucktards were in San Francisco or something where you
would have a lot more bands like us, we would be forced to up the
ante, and that could be a really good thing. I just see more people
whining about the scene than doing something about it. Which I guess
is kind of how it always has been and always will be here. But you
can't just expect a scene to get better or more how you want it. And
there's not a realistic way to measure it in my opinion too. Just do
your part and what you want to do and fuck everyone else. Thats my
attitude towards building a scene.
Gavin:
What's your opinion on the current airplay on community radio these
days and how its affecting local artists?
Mike:
KRCL is killing it right now. Its all I listen to in my car. Except
for their shitty reggae show and that blue grass shit they do on
Sundays. But the DJ's they have right now are so dedicated to the
local scene and what's going on. I think its amazing and Salt Lake
is lucky to have it right now. Circus Brown has live local bands in
the studio almost every Friday. He even let the Fucktards play, but
we had to change our name to the Fun-Tarts. But yeah, anyone who
claims to give a shit about the local scene should donate money to
them because it's truly fueled by the listeners and not any
advertisers. Its a real positive thing we've got going now and needs
as much support and attention as it can get.
Gavin:
Aside yourselves, who are your favorite acts in the scene right
now?
Mike:
Hmmmm, kind of a tough question for me. Heathen Ass Worship is
getting back together and those guys are rad if you haven't seen
them. We are playing with them in December for SLUG's
Localized. Bazil just started a new two piece thrash metal project
called Cornered By Zombies that is amazing. Eagle Twin with Gentry
Densly and Tyler Smith, two of the best musicians to ever ever come
out of Salt Lake, are fucking great too! I also like the Naked Eyes
even though they just broke up or changed the name or something. And
for hip hop, check out Mindstate when you get the chance.
Entertaining for sure. Oh, and the Idiobots, a Ramones cover band
that just doesn't give a fuck. I like them too.
Gavin:
What can we expect from you the rest of the year and going into
next?
Mike:
Not sure, pretty much covered it all. The Fucktards just kind of
play things by ear.
Gavin:
Is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?
Mike:
Our next gig is SLUG's
Localized in December. I want to play about once a month. May be
some new songs may be not. Overall The Fucktards are about one
thing: Having Fun. I don't know too many people that don't have a
good time at our shows. So fuck it.