an island, close to the sea, full of sun and green

in a huge and chaotic, besides beautiful and unique city

BIG MOUNTAIN COUNTY is a relatively new but great psych garage rock band somewhere in Rome. They are blessed with ability to write hits, even in the manner of Butthole Surfers. Moreover the bassplayer Wolfman Bob is our old comrade. He played at rnr666 party in Budapest with three different bands: wild garage rock Ultra Twist, lo-fi punk Trio Banana, and of course Big Mountain County.

How you have become musicians?
As for many other musicians: listening to music at home, trying to play any instrument and finally being completely captured by the desire to play over and over.

Your hometowns are Catania, Bari, Pescara, Rome. There are long distances between these cities. How you have got together? You understand each other without problem, or there are difficulties because of the language differences?
We come from different and quite far towns, but there are no particular language differences. So no communication problems. Alessandro and Bruno have met each other in Catania, their common hometown. They met Bob in a music festival, where they were performing with their respective past bands, Bruno and Alessandro with “The Boliers” and Bob with “The Ultra Twist”. A few years later, they all moved to Rome, where Alessandro and Francesco met each as roommate. They began playing guitars and writing songs together and soon they decided to start a new band, involving Bruno as drummer and Bob as bass player. We believe that the difference between our origins is one of the keys of the band. Alessandro and Bruno come from Catania, a hot and spirited city, Bob comes from another lively and dynamic town, whereas Francesco comes from a quiet village close to Pescara. These differences reflect on our music styles. So yes, we have different languages, but just “musical languages”. However, this is not a problem, but an unbelievable resource, since playing and writing together is a continuous mutual exchange, which every time creates new songs, new sounds and new atmospheres. We definitely like to be different but to appear as a unity on the stage.

You spent a month together to produce a better sounding in a house on the base of Etna. Was the session successful? Could you use that under ground latent energy?
Definitely yes! We live in Rome, a huge and chaotic (besides beautiful and unique) city. Sometimes we need to escape from the rhythm of the city life in order to find new inspirations. Therefore, when we had to complete our first LP Breaking Sound, we decided to stay a month in a nice house on the base of the Etna, where we had more time and the right atmosphere to write new songs and find out new sounds. Those days were relaxing, inspiring and stimulant. That was the right place in the right moment.

In some songs (e.g. Brain Machine) I have discovered the strong influence of Butthole Surfers. Are there accidents, or are you also big fans of those funny guys?
We know Butthole Surfers and we like their music. Anyway, we do not know if they directly influenced some of our songs. As said before, we are four and we have various and very different musical influences.

Psychedelic music is very trendy nowadays, almost every second village has a psych fest. What do you think about this revival?
We like psychedelic music, we play psychedelic music, so we follow the trend… Psych music surely is not new, but we believe that many bands are proposing new different, modern and interesting interpretations. We think that this kind of music can be fully expressed just during live shows. Therefore, we promote the spread of psych fests and we hope every second village will have more than one psych fest. We are so sure about this that we are contributing to the organization of the first Rome Psych Fest, which will be held in next October.

As band what was your biggest show experience?
We had many unforgettable shows, but if we have to choose one, that is Sarajevo in 2013, during our first European tour. We were very far from home, not only because of physical distance, but also because of history and culture. However, we felt at home. People got really involved by our show and our music. The atmosphere was perfect, in poor words, unforgettable.

Where is Big Mountain County geographically?
As for songs, pictures, or poems, each can have its personal idea about the Big Mountain County. Therefore, we cannot say where it is. In our minds, it is probably on an island, close to the sea, full of sun and green lands. Do you know any place like this?

What are your plans for the future?
In this period, we are promoting out live CD Anachronicle, out for Area Pirata Records. In the same time, we are writing new songs to record our second studio LP, which will be more psych and experimental than “Breaking Sound”. Our idea is to record in autumn and release the album at the beginning of 2017. Meanwhile, in next October, we will share the release of a 12 inches split, out for Annibale Records with the Italian band “Lame”, a project of Stefano Isaia from Movie Star Junkies. It will contain two new tracks by Big Mountain County, one to dance and one to dream.

And for the past? What would you change in the history if you could?
To answer this question is not easy. Everything could be better, but worse also. We think that what is done is done. Fortunately, just music and songs remain. We prefer to learn from the past in order to make the future better.

pic: Gyerage. More BMC at RNR666 Party in Budapest pics

This year The Monsters – the band of Reverend Beat Man, Voodoo Rhythm Record boss and his male club – turn 30 years old. To celebrate this nice round anniversary, they re-released their – by now totally unavailable – 1995 10”, originally released by the German Jungle Noise Records on CD and LP, supplemented by 7 more songs.

This was the first Monsters album where they used electronic bass instead of the double bass, and since their guitarist left the band, Beat Man remained alone at that position. So he distorted the hell out of his guitar. In addition the band decided that they will not deal with studios anymore, and record the whole album at home on an AKAI 1224 recorder, and that should be it!

This way, they nicely departed from the psychobilly sound of their first two albums, in a GOOD way, the RIGHT way, that is none other than the TRASH FILTH BRAIN-FUCKING PRIMITIVE ROCK N ROLL!!!

And on the occasion of this anniversary release, let me tell you a personal story.

Exactly 10 years ago in 2006 I found out that The Monsters will play in Graz. I told my – then girlfriend, now beloved wife:
– We are going!
– OK, but we hardly have any money.
– Let’s hitchhike! Budapest-Graz is not that far.
– OK.

To tell you the truth, none of us thought that we would ever hitchhike abroad for a concert; we were no teenagers, not even twenty-somethings, and we were over thirty. We had some pretty good rides though, the last one being an Italian owner of a sweets shop in a suit who was heading exactly to Graz to attend his new shop before its opening. He insisted that we visit his store too. We didn’t really feel like doing so, but said SURE. It was getting dark already by the time we got to the pastry shop, he opened the store, all three of us went in, he was explaining all kinds of things to us while everything was foiled up (there was some renovation going on), and this Italian guy in suit with a mustache.  The whole thing was as we were in a gore movie, so I told my girlfriend, let’s get the hell out of here! We left our guy there and stepped outside to the street, and who was walking across the street? The Monsters! Of course we told them right away that we are their fans from Budapest and we are heading to the concert! A magnificent moment, I will never forget: Marta all smiley, hugging Beat Man and padding his shoulder. And him, being a gentleman, offered to take us in to the concert. Danke Schön! This way we could also buy some records.

The concert was extra super, both of us had quite some vodka, and the whole audience was really getting into it, dancing and so on. Everything was just wonderful except for the one manager who discovered us sleeping in behind one of the speakers after the concert, and kicked both of us out.  Afterwards things became a bit torturous; going through the trash early morning at the railway station (I found a handful of unopened chocolates – though melted) as while dancing during the show I managed to lose all our sandwiches that were in our pockets. Then we came across an old (Hungarian!) gypsy who advised us to go back through Wien. Then we were on the train from Graz to Budapest in the morning, no tickets of course, trying to hide from the conductor till we are in Hungary, then my good ole trick with the conductors there, and we are already at home. True, it was tiring, but it was worth it! And I am not only saying this after 10 years, but also when we got home back then, and opened up our first beer in the kitchen.

Here are two little videos from this concert:

And now a few words about the album. How would a record be like that starts out with ‘Psych-out with me’? Awesome! Brutal party R n R! Then the song ‘Searching’, hard as Venom; then pot hymn ‘Pot’, then one of my favorite, ‘It’s not my way’, perfect fast pogo punk song!!! And damned be whoever’s legs don’t start moving after listening to ‘The Rock around the tombstone’ – he or she is hopeless! Then a fucking great Rolling Stones cover, ‘Play with fire’, and so on. Oh yeah, and all bonus tracks are also great! It’s worth keeping in mind that this brutal rock n roll record was recorded and put out during 94-95!

Note: Today it is worth to follow Voodoo Rhythm’s own Instagram page, where you can continually discover such treasures like this photo down here:

So a lot of things were trendy during the 90s, but a record sounding like this surely wasn’t! On one side all the Seattle rip-offs were going on, techno and all kinds of electronic dance music was coming in, and everyone was trying to figure out how to force together genres that were completely different from each other. On the other hand only people who really knew and liked the Ramones and Moorhead were wearing their t-shirts, even if they could not pronounce their names correctly (Motorhead or Matorhid were in quite widespread usage, and I for one did not know a single soul that pronounced the Ramones Ramonz vs Ramonez). Of course back then I did not even hear about The Monsters.

*

magyarul

On the 10th birthday party of RNR666 there will be a French ultrafuckin’hot rock’n’roll band, VAGINA TOWN.  They’re so amazing like The Cramps.

Lavór: How did you got together?

Jeremie: Gina and I met in high school at respectively 17 and 15 in 98. We got together something like a year after and kept being stuck after each other ever since. We started to play music in bands in 2007. Vagina Town started has a duo beatbox bass guitar in 2009. We’ve been playing trio from 2010 to 2011. Then the band has been in stand by, until we started all over again in 2013 has a four pieces with Patou (drummer), and Rachouchou (keyboards).

Szabó: What represent your name?

We found that name during the first days of the band. It could have been Ravachol Crack* or Sex Minute. We were much more in some high speed energy at the time. Beat box guitar wolf…  Anyway, we caught „Vagina Town” by watching an episode of Californication. Which is not a so funny series in my opinion…  But some good jokes I admit.  „Vagina Town” is also a real porn movie shot in the 90’s .

Now, talking about the band, Vagina Town can represent sex, energy, energy of sex… repressed and just about to blow everything up if you don’t let it out. Or having rough sex with a pure heart. … I’m not really sure actually.

*Ravachol (1859-92) was a French anarchist. He tried to make a better world with bombs. After some experiments he lost his head.

Zsófi: How often do you get joking questions about the influence of cramps on vagina…. town?

Not so much, because in France people are quite lousy at speaking foreign languages. So if you’re lucky enough to meet someone listening to the Cramps, he’s maybe not totally aware of the meaning of it. But we got many many comparison with them. Whereas I don’t think our music sounds like the Cramps. We love the Cramps for a long time. But we also love …. the Beatles (and know every songs) for example. Patou and I are listening to a lot of old rnb soul stuff… And many more things combined…

I think our Cramps thing is… in the clothes, girls playing music, some live energy and the sex references. We had the luck to see them once, performing in Brussels in 2003. I’m dreaming one day Poison Ivy would lend a hand on a Vagina record!!!

Lavór: Is it sexism or not if a band has boy and girl members too?

Jeremie: I’m not sure to understand the question. There’s probably some sexist attitudes in the band, it depends a lot of what you call sexism. I like to think we’re just people playing music. But I really like to play music with THESE special girls.

Gina: I don’t feel any sexist attitudes in the band. But sexism appears more often during the shows in the public or among the other bands we are playing with. I like to play with girls, I had a few girl bands, but it’s not my main concern to play with girls only.

Lavór: 1st is the Sex, 2nd the Drugs, 3rd is the Rockandroll. Is this proper order?

Jeremie: Sex 1, Rock n roll 2, Drugs 3 for all of us. As drug is an upper for exploring other things, or a way to stand the world. As you know, drugs can be very destructive and leading to poorness and diseases. So drugs! Yes!  But as an improvement of something. I’m not so excited about taking legal happy pills, working in an oxygen factory in 2072. Luckily, I’ll be death by drugs then.

What’s your opinion about the legalization of ecstasy and MDMA?

I’m not sure I’m pro or anti drug legalization. As I told you about drugs before: what are you looking for by taking drugs? When you’re depressed, poor, if you got any problems… drugs won’t solve any of them. But drugs do feel fucking good. So yes if legalization means: avoiding cops, jail, money problems, providing state care… If it’s about taking money from the drug dealers to offer the market to big companies of the (not always)legal economy, with the same cynicism: it’s not a matter of excitement. But boy, I love so much to listen to music, watch gigs on MDMA!

See you in Budapest!!!!!!

in the centre of the city under the starry sky on the rooftop of Corvin Store

on 19 JUNE at CORVINTETŐ from 7 pm!
with the incredible LOUIS PANTHER (H)
cousin of Gustave Tiger

The concerts will start soon after 7 pm because it must be end up to 10 pm on the rooftop. The party continues with 6 DJ girls until dawn. It will be a crazy night.

Facebook event

Az RNR666 10. szülinapi buliján fellép egy kibaszott jó francia rock’n’roll banda, a VAGINA TOWN. Olyan mint a Cramps. Bár – mint kiderül – azért a képlet nem ilyen egyszerű.  

Lavór: Hogy jöttetek össze?

Jeremie: Ginával még a középiskolában találkoztunk 98-ban. Azóta vagyunk összeragadva. A Vagina Town 2009-ben indult, mint egy beatbox bassz ‘n’gitár duó. 2010-11 között lett trió, majd kis szünet után Patou (dob) és Rachouchou (billentyű) csatlakozásával alakult ki a mai felállás 2013-ban.

Szabó: Mit fejez ki a nevetek?

A szex energiáját. Amit ha elfojtanak, felrobbant bármit. Vagy például: tiszta szívvel durva szex. Egyébként Vagina Town mellett a Ravachol Crack* és a Sex Minute volt még bedobva. A nevet egy amerikai komédia sorozatból, a Californication-ből szedtük. Egyik főszereplője ezzel a címmel forgatott pornó filmet. De van egy igazi pornó film is ezzel a címmel. Egyébként a Californication, bár volt benne néhány tényleg szellemes bemondás, nem volt valami haj de nagy eresztés.

*Ravachol (1859-92) francia anarchista volt, aki bombákkal próbálta meg jobbá tenni az életet. A kísérletsorozat végén fejét vesztette.

Zsófi: Milyen gyakran teszik fel nektek a vicces kérdést, hogy milyen hatással van a Cramps a Vaginára? (az angol szlengben cramps-nek nevezik a menstruációs görcsöket – a szerk.)

Elvétve, mert a franciáknak elég felületes az idegen nyelv ismerete. Így ha van szerencséd találkozni olyasvalakivel, aki ismeri a Cramps-et, az nem feltétlen tudja, mit jelent a szó. Persze rengetegen mondták ránk, hogy tiszta Cramps. Szerintem viszont nincs akkora zenei hasonlóság. Persze imádjuk őket. De ugyanannyira szeretjük például a Beatlest is. Aztán Patou meg én rengeteg régi rhythm’n’blues meg soul zenét is hallgatunk. Szóval sok minden keveredik minálunk. Inkább a kosztümök, a csajok meg a szexuális vonatkozások rokonítanak minket a Cramps-szel. Egyébként volt szerencsénk látni őket 2003-ban Brüsszelben. No meg van egy álmom. Hogy Poison Ivy közreműködik egy Vagina Town lemezen.

Lavór: Szexizmus vagy sem ha egy bandának férfi és nő tagjai is vannak?

Jeremie: Nem egészen értem a kérdést. Talán van egy kis szexista attitűd a zenekarban, de attól függ, mit értesz a kifejezésen. Én nagyon szeretek ezekkel a roppant különleges lányokkal együtt zenélni.

Gina: Nem érzek semmiféle szexista magatartást a zenekarban. Viszont a közönség soraiban, illetve más bandák esetében annál gyakrabban találkozom vele. Volt néhány csajbandám is, szeretek lányokkal játszani, de nem fő szempont, hogy csak velük játsszak.

Lavór: Sex’n’drugs’n’rock’n’roll. Így helyes a sorrend?

Jeremie: Nálunk: Sex 1, Rock n Roll 2, Drugs 3.

És mi a véleményed az ecstasy és az MDMA legalizációjáról?

Mikor elnyomott vagy, szegény, vagy bármilyen más problémád van, a drog nem fog segíteni. Nem is azért van. Hanem hogy kibaszott jól érezd magad tőle. Továbbá hozzásegít, hogy másképp lásd a világot. Persze ha nem vigyázol, könnyen beleragadhatsz abba a más világba.

A liberalizáció egy fejlődési folyamat vége. Viszont mint oxigéngyári dolgozót különösebben nem fognak izgatni a legális boldogság pirulák 2072-ben. Főleg, hogy akkor én már rég a drogok áldozata leszek.

Tőlem mehet a liberalizáció, ha azt jelenti, hogy nincs rendőr, nincs börtön, de van állami felügyelet. Viszont ha azt jelenti, hogy a piacot a dealerektől a so-so legális gazdaság nagy cégei kaparintják meg, s a tőlük megszokott cinizmussal vágnak bele az üzletbe – akkor nem érdekel. Amúgy imádok zenét hallgatni, meg koncerteket látogatni MDMA-ben.

VAGINA TOWN KONCERT LÁTOGATÁS!
JÚNIUS 19. BUDAPEST CORVINTETŐ 19:00!

LESZ MÉG: LOUIS PANTHER (H)

Gustave Tiger, Moog, és Hammer of Gods tagok alkotta alternatív rockzenei szupergroup. Első és egyetlen koncert. Olyan mint a Gustave Tiger. Csak egy kicsit jobb.

Mindez Budapest közepén a csillagos ég alatt a Corvin Áruház tetején.

Mivel a tetőn a koncerteket tízre be kell fejezni, ezért pontosan kezdünk! Tíz után a buli hat csaj DJ-vel folytatódik hajnalig. Facebook event