Matt Fuller
Working Musician Interview
West Hollywood, CA
June 2009
By Vicroria Joyce
(SugarBuzz Hollywood)
SugarBuzz Magazine
We sat down with working man, Matt Fuller. That’s a lie. We typed, then he typed. This is an e-Interview done completely in the ether.
Matt’s latest project is called Invasion, a cover band of the British bands who hit the US in the mid-60s led by the Beatles. Set list please?
Our first night...this was our setlist, it will probably be modified if this becomes a regular gig.All My Loving
My Generation
All The Day And All Of The Night
Glad All Over
House Of The Rising Sun
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Wonderwall
Laid
You Really Got Me
Dancing Days
Satisfaction
Long Cool Woman
Rebel Rebel
Song 2
Girls And Boys
Unbelievable
I Saw Her Standing There
Rock &Roll
Baba O'reilly
Matt, this is a great list of songs: The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Dave Clark Five, Bowie. Who did we miss? How did you pick these songs/bands? the Animals, Queen, Oasis, James, Led Zeppelin, the Hollies, Blur, EMF....
Who is in Invasion?
The same guys that I 
play with in Video Star (80's New Wave) and Decades (70's-00's). Matthew Mayes, singer; Curt Radmacher, bass; and Nick Lane, drums.
How many bands are you currently in right now? And how do you keep track?
My active bands are Video Star, Decades, Corey-oke (live band karaoke), No Thanks (punk covers and originals), and the Mulhollands (original band). lots of review...hehehe
Cover bands do well these days, right? Why? Known entity?
Some do well, some don't. I know this is going to sound cynical, but I think the fact that Hollywood keeps recycling old movies and tv shows (I mean seriously, Halloween 2 is being remade...wtf?!?!?!)...people have turned away from originality...which is sad. I still go out and see live original music on nights i don't work. yes, there is terrible stuff out there, but once in awhile, I see a "diamond in the rough" that makes it all worth it.
So you think the cover band dominance is unfair to bands who do all original material? Does it kill The Rock?
On the plus side, alot of cover bands have opening acts...so i think it's good because it gets people out seeing live bands and hopefully, through osmosis, they will see a good original band in the process. who knows, maybe I'm just naive in thinking people still care about new music like I do.
We didn’t see you in No Thanks last Friday at the Cat Club for the pre-Blackboard Jungle Anniversary. You had another show, right? Tough choice? A paying gig versus a non-paying one? Love or money?
Yeah, unfortunately, the tax laws changed this year and as a working musician, I get to pay self-employment tax...this year I was raped...so, I couldn't afford to sub out my gig to do the No Thanks gig. It's a drag, but even though my building manager is the coolest lady on Earth, she can't let me slide on rent ;-)
***No Thanks is the unique cover band devoted to a Rhino Records Box Set of original Punk Rock hits of the 70s. We really love this idea and its no secret that we love this band of seasoned musicians who do some serious justice to these great songs. The band’s signature song “No Thanks for Nothing” has seen some air and TV play. There were some new originals in Friday’s set.***
Is No Thanks adding more original material?
Yes, slowly but surely, new music is creeping into the set. if we weren't all so busy with other bands, it would probably be coming out quicker.
How many bands have you been in? Like in your whole life?
Loads...I've been on all sides of the fence...barely out of the garage to major label releases....
There is a show on Broadway (started in LA, actually) called “Rock of Ages” about Rock bands on the Sunset Strip in the 80s. (Poison was on the Tony Awards?) OK, it’s essentially another cover band with some theater surrounding it not unlike the very successful Steel Panther (formerly Metal Skool and originally Metal Shop). Do you think this kind or presentation is poor imitation of the real thing? Or just another retro fad? Sha-na-na with Spandex and hairspray?
If you can make money playing your instrument...kudos to you. Musicians are usually the last to be paid, if at all...I
should have been an actor...they get paid even if the
show or movie tanks.
Matts next performance is with The Invasion on July 6, 2009 at The Plush Lounge @ The Key Club in Hollywood. It is free before 10 pm with password "bollocks". They will be playing the first monday of every month and if all goes well, it will become more frequent...
www.myspace.com/themulhollands
www.myspace.com/videostarrocks