March 1, 2005

By Lucky (SugarBuzz Hollywood Reporter)

SugarBuzz Magazine

Page Two

Jonny: Bon, Vince, Axl, Halford, etc. I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel. I just want to spin it.

John: We're inspired by all the great rock bands, but the most obvious ones are Guns'n'Roses, Motley Crue, AC/DC, and Aerosmith. My personal heroes are Malcolm, Angus, Billy Gibbons, Slash, Pete Townshend, and Dickie Betts.

Ellen: Got to go with Lemmy on this one.

Matt: I love Tommy Lee and Keith Moon.

8. What equipment are you currently using on stage and in the studio?

Jonny: Shure SM58, a monster cable, and lots of duct tape.

John: Onstage or in the studio, it's always the same. My '72 black Les Paul Custom through my 50 watt Lee Jackson head into my Bogner 4x12 cabinet. No effects, no clean sound, just wood, strings and red hot tubes. I use a '72 Goldtop as a backup.

Ellen: ‘74 Rickenbacker Bass, Ampeg V4B, Ampeg SVT 8x10.

Matt: I play a black acrylic 1976 Fibes kit. 24", 12", 18", with a 14"x6" maple Fibes snare. I use Remo heads, Tama hardware from the '80's (it doesn't fall apart), a bunch of broken Zildjian Z Custom cymbals, and pack after pack of bulk 5A sticks from Guitar Center.

9. Batman or The Green Hornet?

Jonny: Green Hornet, for sure. You know a guy is a badass if Bruce Lee is his fucking sidekick.

John: Keith Richards is my favorite superhero.

Ellen: Batman, he always had the cool toys.

Matt: Not that there is anything wrong with being gay, but I never liked Batman.

Jonny: There are some great bands, but it's a little thin on real deal rock'n'rollers. Everyone around here is pretty cool.

John: The music scene is good, the rock scene not so good. It's getting better. I'm putting on big shows every month or so where we showcase Portland rock bands, as well as bring in killer out-of-town bands, all who play honest, real rock music. We want to shove some cockrock down Portland's throat.(www.westcoastrockshow.com)

Ellen: Starting to come around.

Matt: There are a lot of good bands, but no over-riding sound. If you like straight up rock, there are maybe 5 bands. Maybe. Seattle and Tacoma have killer rock scenes, but they aren't as friendly to each other up there as we are down here. They seem pretty competitive. We'll go toe to toe with anybody, but there is no animosity.

Jonny: I have a degree in Fine Art from the School of Visual Arts in NYC, so I should probably paint more. I spend a lot of time socializing, because I feed off of other people's energy (not to mention their alcohol and coke). Rock'n'roll takes up most of my time.

John: Nope. This is all I do.

Ellen: Far too many. I ride motorcycles, take photographs, travel, practice martial arts, um, this could take a while . . .

Matt: I read a lot.

12. What has been the craziest thing that has happened to Lovely?

Jonny: At a show we played with the Makers, I shattered a pint glass on the floor, forgot about it, then slid across it on my back. I was bleeding profusely from about 100 different cuts on my back. I just kept on singing, spattering everyone with blood. I should be in jail.

John: The craziest thing that's ever happened to me in Lovely is when the crowd bursts in to applause during my guitar solos. That is utterly surreal to me as a guitar player in 2005.

Ellen: Jonny splitting his pants wide open on stage at Berbati’s. He was going commando. I think he teabagged half our fans that night.

Matt: I stabbed myself in the eye with a stick 2 out of our last 3 shows, cutting my retina both times. Both times it happened by the third song, so I had to play most of the set blind in one eye like a fucking pirate. ARRRGGGHH!!!

Jonny: The Cult, Electric.

John: ZEKE, Death Alley.

Ellen: Hellacopters, By the Grace of God.

Matt: 3 Inches of Blood.

14. Is rock dead?

Jonny: Hell no! I wouldn't be doing this interview otherwise, right?

John: Rock'n'roll will never die. No matter what the musical climate is like, AC/DC will still sell out arenas. The media can say whatever they like, but people will never get sick of getting loaded, fighting, and fucking. That's what rock'n'roll is all about.

Ellen: Hell no, though I think it moved to Scandinavia for a while.

Matt: Not as long as we're playing it.