Wannabe Gangsters
Blitzing Europe with their infamous live shows and with a new single out, the Buzz join the Teenage Dirtbags for a highly entertaining chat.
With two defining singles of our time, from spellbinding rock original Teenage Dirtbag to a classic pop cover of Erasure's Respect, Wheatus have gone from daft name unknowns to instant hits. Packing out Sheffield Octagon with fans and their live entourage alike, Andy Law and fellow journo's present to launch a few carefully guided (or well off target in some cases!) questions at the Wheatus rhythm section - bassist Mike McCabe and sticksman Peter Brown.
Where did you get the name Wheatus from? Mike - We won't tell anyone anymore! We will not disclose the information because not telling you is much more exciting than not actually telling you! If you want to know where the name came from, check out our website.
How was working with Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson on the Wannabe Gangster (single version) remix's and video? Peter - It was awesome, he was just on stage with us two nights ago in Southampton - he brought his whole family down to the show.
Mike - He's a very energetic, inspiring person.
How did the collaboration come about? Mike - Brendon met him at a show in Madison Square Garden in New York - I think it just came from the part in Teenage Dirtbag ("I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden baby…). Bruce's kids are all Wheatus fans, and when Bruce Dickinson wants to meet you you're not really going to say no!
Will album deux be up to the standards of Wheatus (self-titled debut album?) Mike - Yeah, I think when the ball starts rolling, it's not gonna stop. We're very optimistic that the second record will be well received. We've gained a strong fan base from the first record that lays the foundation nicely for the next record, while some new fans will hopefully join the Wheatus club along the way. Peter - I think we also have the advantage of 'what else sounds like us' out there. You have your Papa Roach's and all those other shite bands (not that they're shite) and there's 15,000 of them. There's one sound and that's it - how many albums can you get out of that?
What inspired the virtuoso banjo work on Sunshine, the first Wheatus track you penned for your self-titled debut? Peter - We'd put down the track but just thought it needed that something extra to make it sparkle. We were in my house, Phil (A Jimenez, band multi- instrumentialist) picked up the banjo and started widdling away. We were just gobsmacked at how good it sounded - and had to have it in the song.
Why doesn't Brendon use an electric guitar live as opposed to getting the sound from an electro-acoustic instead? Peter / Mike - Brendon likes the acoustic look and feel. He's played that guitar all his life, so he's stuck with it - and he transformed it into this monster instrument. His guitar has five lines - one of which obviously transforms the guitar into an electric acoustic. It's a DI, rigged up to be an electric, distorted etc.
What can you tell us about the makings of the Teenage Dirtbag video (featuring cast from the Hollywood blockbuster Loozer) Pete - With Teenage Dirtbag being one of the film's soundtracks, we figured it'd be a good idea to get some stars involved. Except we insisted they had to act out the story of the video, not the movie.
After the success of A Little Respect, do you think it gave the Erasure original a good spanking? Mike - I hope not… We actually heard from Erasure, who liked it and actually wanted to produce and remix it, but their schedules wouldn't allow. Peter - But no, the way they did it was great - there was no intention of spanking Erasure by doing it.
What differences do you notice between English and American crowds?
Mike - There's more people in English crowds… Peter - For us there are!
How's the World tour in general been going so far?
Mike - In England, the tour's being pretty much sold out and there's been between 1200 to 2000 people at each show - we don't do that in the States. Besides the UK, we have some great shows in Germany to. The crowds are really responsive and loads of the kids come out to see us.
After largely basing Hump 'Em and Dump Em on the Clinton / Lewinsky sex scandal, what do you rate of the presidential skills of George W Bush? Peter - The lyrics do bring that into play - Monica Lewinsky chucks some D on the President then sells her story for millions of dollars - but it's more about people screwing other people generally, and who's getting screwed in the end. George W Bush? He's the man…
He's into rock isn't he? Peter - Oh I hope so - rock, cocaine all that stuff (!)… I would have imploded if Al Gore was President… Mike - He's got a beard!
Being from New York, how did you feel after the tragic events of September 11? Peter / Mike - For about a week, time stood still… jetfighters were flying over the City, it was bizarre. We've just tried our best to get back things back to usual.
How did this affect your decision to tour? Peter - A bunch of dates were cancelled - we were supposed to leave the next week but we couldn't ship our stuff over here. Quite a few other bands cancelled their slots with us to. Mike - I think if we could have left that next week we would have - it didn't stop us in any way mentally. I don't know why it stopped other people - I think groups who'd being touring for a long time used it as an excuse to take time out. It shouldn't really effect your day to day business.
"There's a rocket I built, its under my kilt, its gonna blow you away…" (lyrics from the song Sunshine) What's Brendon's obsession with kilts? Is it something Scottish? Peter - I think the kilt became a much more major issue than anyone envisioned… Mike - Now its more comfortably accepted.
How did you envision the response for the kilt once you wore it?
Mike - I didn't think of it for a second - I didn't think anyone would ask about it. But it's being a regular topic of conversation…
Your stage show regularly involves bunging bananas into the audience randomly. Is this fruit throwing lark sort of your answer to the stage shows of Alice Cooper, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne et al? Peter - I think it identifies with our persona… My next venture is to get a banana catapult, I'm gonna launch 50 banana's… (cue whooshing noise and someone slipping up!) Mike - A cannon would be cool. I once saw a show where a band shot confetti out of one! Peter - Phil hits me with stuff all the time. I get hit by kiwi's… once I even got hit by a mango! He's a consummate performer, Mr Jimenez. He comes from a theatrical background, he used to be an actor, so that comes out on stage. He can play so many instruments, and when he's not doing anything, so he compensates a little by running around and shit - its fun for him!
Have you ever considered throwing him the crowd? Mike - I wrestled with him once at the end of a show…
Why are Wheatus fans known as the frogs as opposed to the kids? Mike - We didn't even choose it - it was something the fans decided to call themselves. Peter - Brendon said at one point he liked frogs. It was his birthday and we had a show in Long Island and fans through plastic frogs at him - he said he wanted frogs for his birthday. After that, the fans started to call themselves frogs. It's a big symbol of Wheatus.
Do you stick to the same set-list every night? Peter - No, we mix and match new songs, old songs and the covers every so often.
Will the new songs played in your set feature on the fourthcoming album? Mike - Definitely most, possibly all, We're in the writing process at the moment - playing them live and seeing if they work.
Why did the original album bassist leave - did he jump or was he pushed? Mike - He wanted to jump but was eventually pushed. Pete - He was standing at the edge going 'come on, push me' - the desire to be in band wasn't there. Its like he had cement blocks on his feet - he would drag himself around all the time.
Will you produce your next studio album? Peter - Yes
Any more plans for covers on the next album? Mike -There's a couple of songs that we'd love to do, but whether we'll release them on the studio release is questionable. Roger Daltry (vocalist, the Who) wanted to do something with us…
Where do you get most of your inspiration from here? Peter - Brendon (Brown, vocalist/ guitarist) gets most of his inspiration for songs and lyrics from other people - family, friends, girls that give him hell etc. In terms of artists, Prince, AC-DC and Madonna amongst others.
How did the support slot for Relish come about? Mike - I bumped into Ken (Papenfus, Relish vocalist/guitarist) and his manager at V2001. We didn't have a support band at the time, so he passed on a CD to us. We heard the album in the manager's office, and that kicked the whole thing off - Wildflowers (Relish's debut album) is a very cool record.
What can you tell us about the Christmas tracks you're doing for Jo Whitely's Radio One shows? Mike - We'll be recording a variety of Christmas covers over the festive period for the Radio shows. The first to come is a version of I'm A Drummer Boy.
On Wannabe Gangstar, your rapping skills shine on the live stage. Will there be more of such moments in future? Mike - The rap part was already written for the song. We went into the studio and I originally wasn't supposed to be doing it - it was a scratch take for someone else to do and we ended up keeping it. Now I do it. I love to rap. Maybe we'll do a whole rap album…
How is working with other members of your family in the group? Mike - Its cool - it makes things easier and simple. My sister (who sings backing vocals in the band) has being doing the whole musical, theatre, singing, acting and dancing thing her whole life. She'd just finished school, we were after backing singers, so we were like, you're coming with us, no matter what you want to do!
What are Wheatus's next immediate plans after the UK tour? Mike - We plan to go back home to the US, record the new album thn we'll do either a tour or festivals. We might do some touring before the festivals, then the festivals etc. We might even have a secret tour.
Don't Quote Us... " We're really quite an uneventful band... we'll don't drink too much or do drugs at all. Do you want some of my cherry pits?"
Wheatus - Live @ Sheffield Octagon
Taking to the stage with a reception reminissant of an Arthur Scargill arrival at an 80's NUM conferance, Wheatus are loud, infectious and completely memorable. Exotic song titles such as Hump 'Em and Dump Em and bizarre lyrics leading the way, their covers meanwhile - exempilary renditions of Punk Ass Bitch and A Little Respect - go down like tea after an English breakfast. On the note of originals, album fav Sunshine is a tuneful heatwave that's a true scorcher, while the levels of musicianship are astonishing.
Phil A Jemenez, a banana bunging madman who exerts his talents via voice, harmonica, keyboard, banjos and percussion, is Wheatus's alternative to The Offspring's multi instrumentalist. While the audacious-ness of frontman Brendon B Brown - converting the sound of his acoustic into an electric and flaunting slick guitar solos on a six string that isn't even a cuttaway - plays witness to a modern day axe hero. Leroy's groove-a-cious harmonies demonstrate the Maiden influence classically, while encore vintage Teenage Dirtbag (a blatent rip off of Def Leppards Pour Some Sugar On Me guitar chorus anyone?) closes the set awesomely. While the more geetar heavy remix of Wannabe Gangster - the soon to come single re mix featuring one Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden frontman) - is much more pleasing than the original outing on Wheatus. Wheatus not only succeed in being smack ass live band - acheiving extra levels of dynamism that their debut album rarely manages to contain - but the new material is fresh, sleek and, in the heavier stakes, supreme. The juries still out on there Christmas covers and the overtly cheesy Lunch (a new one,) but generally they're on course for a momentious second album, while live, they're to be missed at your peril.
Blitzing Europe with their infamous live shows and with a new single out, the Buzz join the Teenage Dirtbags for a highly entertaining chat.
With two defining singles of our time, from spellbinding rock original Teenage Dirtbag to a classic pop cover of Erasure's Respect, Wheatus have gone from daft name unknowns to instant hits. Packing out Sheffield Octagon with fans and their live entourage alike, Andy Law and fellow journo's present to launch a few carefully guided (or well off target in some cases!) questions at the Wheatus rhythm section - bassist Mike McCabe and sticksman Peter Brown.
Where did you get the name Wheatus from? Mike - We won't tell anyone anymore! We will not disclose the information because not telling you is much more exciting than not actually telling you! If you want to know where the name came from, check out our website.
How was working with Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson on the Wannabe Gangster (single version) remix's and video? Peter - It was awesome, he was just on stage with us two nights ago in Southampton - he brought his whole family down to the show.
Mike - He's a very energetic, inspiring person.
How did the collaboration come about? Mike - Brendon met him at a show in Madison Square Garden in New York - I think it just came from the part in Teenage Dirtbag ("I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden baby…). Bruce's kids are all Wheatus fans, and when Bruce Dickinson wants to meet you you're not really going to say no!
Will album deux be up to the standards of Wheatus (self-titled debut album?) Mike - Yeah, I think when the ball starts rolling, it's not gonna stop. We're very optimistic that the second record will be well received. We've gained a strong fan base from the first record that lays the foundation nicely for the next record, while some new fans will hopefully join the Wheatus club along the way. Peter - I think we also have the advantage of 'what else sounds like us' out there. You have your Papa Roach's and all those other shite bands (not that they're shite) and there's 15,000 of them. There's one sound and that's it - how many albums can you get out of that?
What inspired the virtuoso banjo work on Sunshine, the first Wheatus track you penned for your self-titled debut? Peter - We'd put down the track but just thought it needed that something extra to make it sparkle. We were in my house, Phil (A Jimenez, band multi- instrumentialist) picked up the banjo and started widdling away. We were just gobsmacked at how good it sounded - and had to have it in the song.
Why doesn't Brendon use an electric guitar live as opposed to getting the sound from an electro-acoustic instead? Peter / Mike - Brendon likes the acoustic look and feel. He's played that guitar all his life, so he's stuck with it - and he transformed it into this monster instrument. His guitar has five lines - one of which obviously transforms the guitar into an electric acoustic. It's a DI, rigged up to be an electric, distorted etc.
What can you tell us about the makings of the Teenage Dirtbag video (featuring cast from the Hollywood blockbuster Loozer) Pete - With Teenage Dirtbag being one of the film's soundtracks, we figured it'd be a good idea to get some stars involved. Except we insisted they had to act out the story of the video, not the movie.
After the success of A Little Respect, do you think it gave the Erasure original a good spanking? Mike - I hope not… We actually heard from Erasure, who liked it and actually wanted to produce and remix it, but their schedules wouldn't allow. Peter - But no, the way they did it was great - there was no intention of spanking Erasure by doing it.
What differences do you notice between English and American crowds?
Mike - There's more people in English crowds… Peter - For us there are!
How's the World tour in general been going so far?
Mike - In England, the tour's being pretty much sold out and there's been between 1200 to 2000 people at each show - we don't do that in the States. Besides the UK, we have some great shows in Germany to. The crowds are really responsive and loads of the kids come out to see us.
After largely basing Hump 'Em and Dump Em on the Clinton / Lewinsky sex scandal, what do you rate of the presidential skills of George W Bush? Peter - The lyrics do bring that into play - Monica Lewinsky chucks some D on the President then sells her story for millions of dollars - but it's more about people screwing other people generally, and who's getting screwed in the end. George W Bush? He's the man…
He's into rock isn't he? Peter - Oh I hope so - rock, cocaine all that stuff (!)… I would have imploded if Al Gore was President… Mike - He's got a beard!
Being from New York, how did you feel after the tragic events of September 11? Peter / Mike - For about a week, time stood still… jetfighters were flying over the City, it was bizarre. We've just tried our best to get back things back to usual.
How did this affect your decision to tour? Peter - A bunch of dates were cancelled - we were supposed to leave the next week but we couldn't ship our stuff over here. Quite a few other bands cancelled their slots with us to. Mike - I think if we could have left that next week we would have - it didn't stop us in any way mentally. I don't know why it stopped other people - I think groups who'd being touring for a long time used it as an excuse to take time out. It shouldn't really effect your day to day business.
"There's a rocket I built, its under my kilt, its gonna blow you away…" (lyrics from the song Sunshine) What's Brendon's obsession with kilts? Is it something Scottish? Peter - I think the kilt became a much more major issue than anyone envisioned… Mike - Now its more comfortably accepted.
How did you envision the response for the kilt once you wore it?
Mike - I didn't think of it for a second - I didn't think anyone would ask about it. But it's being a regular topic of conversation…
Your stage show regularly involves bunging bananas into the audience randomly. Is this fruit throwing lark sort of your answer to the stage shows of Alice Cooper, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne et al? Peter - I think it identifies with our persona… My next venture is to get a banana catapult, I'm gonna launch 50 banana's… (cue whooshing noise and someone slipping up!) Mike - A cannon would be cool. I once saw a show where a band shot confetti out of one! Peter - Phil hits me with stuff all the time. I get hit by kiwi's… once I even got hit by a mango! He's a consummate performer, Mr Jimenez. He comes from a theatrical background, he used to be an actor, so that comes out on stage. He can play so many instruments, and when he's not doing anything, so he compensates a little by running around and shit - its fun for him!
Have you ever considered throwing him the crowd? Mike - I wrestled with him once at the end of a show…
Why are Wheatus fans known as the frogs as opposed to the kids? Mike - We didn't even choose it - it was something the fans decided to call themselves. Peter - Brendon said at one point he liked frogs. It was his birthday and we had a show in Long Island and fans through plastic frogs at him - he said he wanted frogs for his birthday. After that, the fans started to call themselves frogs. It's a big symbol of Wheatus.
Do you stick to the same set-list every night? Peter - No, we mix and match new songs, old songs and the covers every so often.
Will the new songs played in your set feature on the fourthcoming album? Mike - Definitely most, possibly all, We're in the writing process at the moment - playing them live and seeing if they work.
Why did the original album bassist leave - did he jump or was he pushed? Mike - He wanted to jump but was eventually pushed. Pete - He was standing at the edge going 'come on, push me' - the desire to be in band wasn't there. Its like he had cement blocks on his feet - he would drag himself around all the time.
Will you produce your next studio album? Peter - Yes
Any more plans for covers on the next album? Mike -There's a couple of songs that we'd love to do, but whether we'll release them on the studio release is questionable. Roger Daltry (vocalist, the Who) wanted to do something with us…
Where do you get most of your inspiration from here? Peter - Brendon (Brown, vocalist/ guitarist) gets most of his inspiration for songs and lyrics from other people - family, friends, girls that give him hell etc. In terms of artists, Prince, AC-DC and Madonna amongst others.
How did the support slot for Relish come about? Mike - I bumped into Ken (Papenfus, Relish vocalist/guitarist) and his manager at V2001. We didn't have a support band at the time, so he passed on a CD to us. We heard the album in the manager's office, and that kicked the whole thing off - Wildflowers (Relish's debut album) is a very cool record.
What can you tell us about the Christmas tracks you're doing for Jo Whitely's Radio One shows? Mike - We'll be recording a variety of Christmas covers over the festive period for the Radio shows. The first to come is a version of I'm A Drummer Boy.
On Wannabe Gangstar, your rapping skills shine on the live stage. Will there be more of such moments in future? Mike - The rap part was already written for the song. We went into the studio and I originally wasn't supposed to be doing it - it was a scratch take for someone else to do and we ended up keeping it. Now I do it. I love to rap. Maybe we'll do a whole rap album…
How is working with other members of your family in the group? Mike - Its cool - it makes things easier and simple. My sister (who sings backing vocals in the band) has being doing the whole musical, theatre, singing, acting and dancing thing her whole life. She'd just finished school, we were after backing singers, so we were like, you're coming with us, no matter what you want to do!
What are Wheatus's next immediate plans after the UK tour? Mike - We plan to go back home to the US, record the new album thn we'll do either a tour or festivals. We might do some touring before the festivals, then the festivals etc. We might even have a secret tour.
Don't Quote Us... " We're really quite an uneventful band... we'll don't drink too much or do drugs at all. Do you want some of my cherry pits?"
Wheatus - Live @ Sheffield Octagon
Taking to the stage with a reception reminissant of an Arthur Scargill arrival at an 80's NUM conferance, Wheatus are loud, infectious and completely memorable. Exotic song titles such as Hump 'Em and Dump Em and bizarre lyrics leading the way, their covers meanwhile - exempilary renditions of Punk Ass Bitch and A Little Respect - go down like tea after an English breakfast. On the note of originals, album fav Sunshine is a tuneful heatwave that's a true scorcher, while the levels of musicianship are astonishing.
Phil A Jemenez, a banana bunging madman who exerts his talents via voice, harmonica, keyboard, banjos and percussion, is Wheatus's alternative to The Offspring's multi instrumentalist. While the audacious-ness of frontman Brendon B Brown - converting the sound of his acoustic into an electric and flaunting slick guitar solos on a six string that isn't even a cuttaway - plays witness to a modern day axe hero. Leroy's groove-a-cious harmonies demonstrate the Maiden influence classically, while encore vintage Teenage Dirtbag (a blatent rip off of Def Leppards Pour Some Sugar On Me guitar chorus anyone?) closes the set awesomely. While the more geetar heavy remix of Wannabe Gangster - the soon to come single re mix featuring one Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden frontman) - is much more pleasing than the original outing on Wheatus. Wheatus not only succeed in being smack ass live band - acheiving extra levels of dynamism that their debut album rarely manages to contain - but the new material is fresh, sleek and, in the heavier stakes, supreme. The juries still out on there Christmas covers and the overtly cheesy Lunch (a new one,) but generally they're on course for a momentious second album, while live, they're to be missed at your peril.
