Bub And I have Been together for about 5 years; we originally dropped the project in '95 because we couldn't find the right players. Either they had "the look" and couldn't play or they could play but had no look. The story of our lives was babysitting lazy bastards! We started up again about two years ago. John, our guitarist, has been with us for about a year - J-sin is brandie new!
2. Can you tell us who each band member is and a little bit about that person?
Mark "Bub" Romero: Bass - The hurricane
of malovelent mayhem rocks his ass off, and looks suprisingly undead doing
it!
John Von Carcass : Guitar - Chunk
rock specialist, evil incarnate and all around deadly MF!
J-sin "Bonedaddy" Trioxin : Drums - Man
of a thousand hells, MISTER MONSTER, and he has his fingers in just under
a million human flesh pies!
Fang Alphamayle : Vocals - Just getting
his kicks waiting around for the next full moon! El Horrifico!
2a. Where exactly did you come up with names like those? what was the inspiration behind them?
We are all HUGE horror movie and horror rock fans, and that's mostly where we draw inspiration. We used to be called "Dead Men Walking" but we "inherited" the name THE SERPENTEENS from a friend, and it stuck... We are totally into Zombie flicks and we always wanted to do something that was a bit different.
3. What was the toughest obstacle to overcome in your career?
We're still trying to overcome it - getting paid to be musicians. We do so many other things to maintain our musician lifestyles, it get ridiculous. Not that we complain, every musician busts his or her ass to survive, but that is an obstacle I'd like to get past already...
4. What artist(s) have been your most prominent influences?
KISS is probably the biggest. We also like Alice Cooper, The Misfits (Glenn Danzig era of course) are another big influence as well. Early Cult, Celtic Frost, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Motown, Megadeth, Sinatra -there's just so many - too many to name 'em all...
5. Who writes most of your band's music and lyrics? One person or by collaboration?
So far I write most of the stuff, a basic blueprint form. But everyone comes in and drops their ghoulishness on it to make it complete. Once the song it written, it really takes everybody to make it a Serpenteens tune... When a bunch of good musicians get together and have a good framework to build on, the rest is cake.
5a. A lot of your songs/words are very eerie, dark are there any certain ways you work as a group or by yourselves to sort of set the mood for this?
I'd have to say sleep deprivation is one of the handiest tools for coming up with interesting stuff. Stay up for 72 hours or more, put a guitar in your hands and all kinds of weird shit starts coming out of you ... better than just about any drug! And dark is good! But we also have fun songs like "Zombie Bride." We don't take it too seriously - we're just expressing our love of horror in musical form. It's nothing revolutionary, but I think the songs are there...
6. Where do you see yourselves five years from now?
I see mankind enslaved under our iron grip, as we assume control of the known universe and breed humans as a food source!
7. Do you have any current releases or any in the making?
We just condensed our 2 demos onto one CD called "Dead Men Walking" and in the beginning of December we'll start recording our first full CD tentatively titled "Assuming Control Of Planet Earth" at our 24 track studio PLANET GREY. Any extra material from those sessions will come out on mini CD's and MP3 only downloads. We are also appearing on the Misfits tribute compilation "From Hell They Came II" doing "Return Of The Fly" and "Bullet." We recently were featured on Changemusic.com MP3 site and logged over 600 downloads in one month...Ahh the unbridled power of the internet!
8. When and where can we catch a live show?
We don't play out very often, because in NYC no one wants to pay you. The show conditions have to be just right for us to gig because we have our own lights and stageset so we really only play about every 2 months. We like it to be an EVENT when we play, and something special. Your friends get burned out seeing you too much if you play too often here, and you will get perceived as "two-bit" if you play every local shithole any chance you get. We play CB's, Continental, Mother and CB's Gallery - period - some of the best small clubs in NYC. It's not like everyone in this band hasn't been on a ton of stages, so the live thing is really secondary to rehearsing writing and recording. I think seeing us perform is a treat though and people are definitely suprised that we are SO entertaining live. NYC has grown to accept shitty half-assed bands as the norm and I have been told by a lot of people that they are glad they saw us play because they almost forgot what it's like to see a great band! We're very proud of that!
10. How do you feel about all you've done and accomplished in your career? Do you feel that you've reached all your goals and expectations?
Not at all! Even if we were on the level of let's say - Marilyn Manson or Korn, we wouldn't be satisfied. I think everyone in this band wants more. Constantly. We are never content to sit around or feel happy with what we have. We always want bigger and better - more props, more songs, more recording, more rehearsal! A lazy, content guy doesn't last 2 seconds in this band. We all done a lot of things musically, collectively and separately, but The Serpenteens as a unit are definitely driven by demons!
11.Looking back, what is your fondest memory career-wise?
I would have to say when someone who likes your music goes out of their way to spend time and effort to help your success. They don't get paid, they don't have their hand out - they just do it because they like your stuff, or they truly get where you are coming from - that's really what this is all about for me...It makes all this worthwhile..So I have quite a few!!
12.What is the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?(singley or as a band?)
I can't really recall anything - I don't embarrass very easily.
13. Do you have any regrets about anything that's happened in your music career? If so, what and why?
No, I don't really. I make music because I love music. I think everyone in the band right now feels the same way. If I wasn't In a band I'd be writing songs with someone or doing a acoustighoul thing or playing on someone's record or producing someone at the studio. Something musical. I love music too much to regret anything... I would have quit a long long time ago if I had any doubts or regrets about music. Do I feel strongly enough ;-))?
14. Anything else you wanna add? websites? New show dates? Anything for the fans? Speak your mind!
The Serpenteens website is at http://serpenteens.web.com.
We have links to our MP3's for download Links to Real audio and soon real
Video, pix and great links. You can also check out the band member's personal
sites in the links section. Total Monster Mayhem! Our studio "Planet Grey"
has a site at http://planetgrey.web.com,
you can check out where we rehearse and record - ourselves and others.
As for shows - we post them on the page... You can also order our record
on the site for 10 bux post paid..
Speak my mind? Well, people should separate
themselves from the "Sheeple," think for themselves and learn to work smart
not hard - that's about the best advice I can personally give! Thanks for
the interview Skyler, you are Ghoul!