 "Photo: Photo courtesy of The Melvins")
When you’ve been around as long as The Melvins of Aberdeen, Wash., how do you celebrate? By not only playing your breakout album Houdini live in its entirety, but also bringing back your old drummer, Mike Dillard, for jamming songs from your formative years.
In the band’s tour dubbed “Silver Anniversary,” The Melvins will bring the concert series to Emo’s on May 20. The Melvins’ Sideshow Bob-coiffed guitarist and singer Buzz Osbourne spoke with The Daily Texan about bringing Dillard back, tips on longevity and the Creed reunion, er, I mean “rebirth.”
Daily Texan: What was the inspiration for playing Houdini in its entirety?
Buzz Osbourne: Well, the All Tomorrow’s Parties (a concert agency based out of the U..K, specializing in indie music) people wanted us to play it for their “Don’t Look Back” series, and we agreed to it. I don’t know what record I would have picked for us to do if it would have been up to me. At the time we didn’t have a bass player, and we were yet to play with the Big Business guys, so we asked my old buddy from Fantomas, Trevor Dunn, if he would do it, and he agreed. This time, around the Big Business guys are on their own tour, and we asked Trevor if he would fill in yet again. … And he agreed … again.
DT: How did you get Mike Dillard back into the fold?
BO: A few years ago we put out a record called Mangled Demos From 1983, which had our first drummer Mike Dillard playing on it. I got the crazy idea that we should do some shows with [current drummer Dale] Crover playing bass and Dillard back behind the kit. We decided to do the songs from then as we did them in 1983 and not try to jazz them up at all. So far, so good. It’s really fun to play those songs now.
DT: In your opinion, how has Houdini held up?
BO: I like it just fine. I think all of our records hold up over time. The problem is that I don’t spend a whole lot of time listening to my own records, believe it or not, so I’m not a real good judge of those sorts of things.
DT: Lots of bands are revisiting their old, classic records live, especially with the popularity of the All Tomorrow’s Parties festivals. What do you make of this?
BO: It was fun for us, and I’d imagine it was, and is, fun for those bands as well. As a fan I would dig it, although I’ve never actually witnessed a band do this. Maybe I should go to more live shows?
DT: Do you have any advice for bands who want stay together for 25 years?
BO: Staying off of heroin is always good advice, and being strung out on anything is rarely a career move. Try to make interesting music. Don’t screw your bandmates’ wives or girlfriends. Don’t screw your bandmates. Don’t forget to play a lot live. Remain constant. Don’t take long breaks and try to have a “plan.” And most importantly of all ... be nice to your mom, because as a musician you never know when you will have to move back in with her.
2 comments
cool that this is on MTVu too. great read.