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iNTERVIEW 1-94BAR (AUST.) 2002
SIMON CHAINSAW: PASSIONATE PUNK TROUBADOUR
Singer-guitarist
Simon Chainsaw remains one of Australian music's most enduring and interesting
figures. As leader of Sydney's Vanilla Chainsaws throughout the second half of
the 1980s, he staked a claim as a talented writer of hard-edged yet melodic
rock-pop. The Chainsaws were voted RAM magazine's best unsigned group
just four months into their life, went on to join Phantom records' diverse
roster and produce an Australian indie chart-topper in "T.S. (Was It Really
You?)" and a string of power-laden records. Successful in Europe where they
(or the band core of Simon and guitarist Mark Alexander) lived for two years,
they eventually returned home and faded away in ther early '90s after management
and personnel turmoil arguably contributed to their "could have been
contenders"status.
Simon retired for a while to travel the world but eventually found his way back
into music, embarking on a hectic string of projects here and overseas. The Greg
Brady Overdrive was one such project (running parallel to the Chainsaws) and
staked a claim to notoriety as one of Sydney's best "dodgy song" cover
bands. Under the Gun was another similar idea. Chernonbyl Babies was a promising
but shortlived venture, bringing together Trilobites, New Christs and a future
You Am I member. The Chainsaw Men - a collaboration with San Diego native and
Noise for Heroes zine publisher Steve Gardner (also of the Gamma Men) - produced
a fantastic one-off album, "Electric JuJu".
More recently, an album with Brazillian punks, "Simon Chainsaw and the Forgotten Boys", another with ex-New Christ Al Creed and Sonny Vincent's German rhythm section ("Fire Down Below" as Simon Chainsaw's Baddass Roadshow) and a three-track single with Marky Ramone's backing band and a magnificent double CD retrospective of Vanilla Chainsaws material ("When Liberty Smiles") are out, or are about to hit the shelves. His new band, Simon Chainsaw and the Hippy Killers, are currently hitting stages in South America.
Simon currently lives in South America where he works as a guitar
technician to touring bands. His cv lately includes stints with Marky Ramone and
the Intruders, the Dead Kennedys and The Exploited. He spoke to JOHN
McPHARLIN and THE BARMAN from
Santiago, Chile, soon after arriving late in 2000.
I-94: How did the
"When Liberty Smiles" compilation come about?
S: "When Liberty
Smiles" compilation came out in Brazil on Tronador
Records. Tronador is run by an Australian guy, "Marsho"
(aka Ian Marshall.) He's been living in San Paulo for some time, importing
Australian bands. And Australian music, selling it through surf stores and
record shops. His plan was always to get a label up and running and release the
best of the best Aussie bands.
Before ours came about he'd released a couple of Celibate Rifles and Spy vs Spy
records. Spies are still very popular here. We (Vanilla Chainsaws) were known
here in Brazil via surf videos. A couple of surf videos that were sold quite
extensively here had some tracks from our "Red Lights" CD. As a
consequence, he was importing a lot of "Red Lights" CDs and selling
them here. So I guess it was a natural progression that he would do a Vanilla
Chainsaws compilation.
But other bands that he's released, or is in the proces of releasing, include
the Riptides, the Chevelles, Shock Poets, Natural Mystics, ganGajang, the Vogue.
I-94: What about a domestic release?
S: That is really up to Tronador. His release is called the Surf Series,
one through to 20. He's approached labels in Australia and wants to release them
as a series rather than one-offs. I'm leaving it to Tronador at the moment. He's
also looking to the US, Canada and Europe to licnece this series.
I-94: What are the chances of some sort of reformation?
S: We just have to wait and see. The old expression "never say
never". On the one hand, while I'm cautious about going backwards and
treading in old footsteps, nothing's out of the question. Certainly in Brazil,
we're talking about some sort of a tour at some stage which I'd be more than
keen to do. Australia's a different matter but if it was easy, I'd say it was a
possibility. Not looking for any headaches at this stage. I have enough of my
own new stuff and new plans and stuff I'm working on to devote to
something that's basically history. But who knows?
I-94: Listening to the album, you have to admit there were some dodgy '80s
drum sounds on some of those recordings -
S: Well, a lot of them were recorded in the dodgy '80s. Nothing you can do
about that. People go for the sound at the time - especially engineers.
I-94: Yeah, even
looking back on those recordings, besides the fact you were amazingly
consistent, is it fair to say you were consciously trying to sound contemporary
and commercial?
S: There's an old expression I like to use about the Chainsaws - I don't know
if we were a sign of the times or a victim of them. There are times I listen
back to the stuff and we were right there with what was happening then. There
are other times I listen and we were way ahead of what was happening then.
You know, people were calling the Chainsaws a "grunge band" back in
'87, '88. Before Nirvana. In fact, in '89 we were on a label in Germany, Glitterhouse,
that had Nirvana, Soundgarden, TAD, Mudhoney. All the SubPop and Amphetamine
Reptile bands. We were on this label before the big Nirvana-grunge
explosion.
So I have to say we were ahead of the comercial times.
How serious were we going for mainstream success? There was one time when I
felt we were pushed more in that direction more than any other time, during the
"Wine Dark Sea" period, but I have to say that everything we did, we
did from the heart. We never did anything for mainstream success. When the Red
Hot Chilli Peppers became famous, there was this plethora of Chilli Pepper
soundalikes. When Nirvana broke, there were these grunge soundalikes. We didn't
follow any rules. We did what we wanted to do. When we wanted to do it. Which is
why the Chainsaws sit as a cult band, rather than a household name.
Having said that, we still have a lot of respect.
I-94: I know you did "Average Inadequacy" by the Machinations on the
Phantom Records Birthday disc. I know you were on the same label, but were
you guys fans?
S: I wouldn't say fans. They were around a bit before us.
"Average/Inadequacy" had been a big favourite of mine, so when the
chance came along to do this record I wanted to do that song. We also did the
Dagoes' "Ten Years On" which I always thought was classic pop, so we
did a version of that as well. We were limited by our recording so they didn't
come out as I would have liked them to. But these things happen.
[Former Phantom honcho Jules Normington reflects on his memories of
the Chainsaws and their time on the label here.]
I-94: So who were the contemporaries you were closest to?
S: To be honest, I don't
think we were close to any other bands. I think we were doing our own thing. We
played with other bands, but we were on our own wavelength. We were doing our
post-punk Husker Du-meets-Social Distortion-meets-the Skids thing, whereas other
bands were doing hardcore stuff, like the Hellmen and Massappeal...fuzz-pop like
the Hummingbirds and Ratcat and then you had pure pop bands masquerading as
alternative like Crash Politics. Then you had the plethora of Detroit-sounding
bands, like the Celibate Rifles and the Lime Spiders. All the Birdman legacy.
We weren't on that vibe. We were doing our own thing. A lot different
sounding. Maybe a lot more English-sounding. I don't think there was anyone
doing what we were doing that that time.
I-94: Is the live German show coming out?
S: As a matter of fact it is. It's been mastered and the artwork has been done.
It rocks. Like the Chainsaws rocked. It was recorded live to DAT. No overdubs.
It's got balls and blood, sweat and tears. There's even more unreleased songs on
it. It's going to be great for fans and new fans.
I-94: Sounds great! So here's a hard one...what's your fave cuts on "When
Liberty Smiles"?
S: I have to say every song has a different memory for me. I'd probably say
"Take Us Home" would be the pick and either "Burning Soul"
or "Close to the Edge". All previously unreleased songs. Real good
vibe to them and I guess because they're unreleased, I haven't heard them too
much and they sound
fresh to me.
In every band. You have the democratic situation and you have the label
involved. If you record a lot of songs, you only get a pinch of what was done
released. These songs, you know, I think should have been released. But there
was a democratic process to go through and thy never were. If I had to
pick one, I'd say "Take Us Home". The mix is a little dodgy, but it's
got the feel, it's got the vibe and it's got the good memories. It was a good
time.
I-94: The number of high quality tracks on this compilation raises the
question, what else is left in the cupboard?
S: Well, I gotta tell you, we stripped the cupboard bare with the best quality
stuff. We do have some sub-standard stuff. Different takes, different lyrics. We
could put that out at some stage but I'd rather leave
it in the cupboard. Maybe for diehard fans, but we'd just be scraping the bottom
of the barrel. What we've got here, in this set, is the definitive Chainsaws.
With the release of the live album, it should be laid to rest.
I-94: Left of field question: Were there any problems having two Peter Kellys in
the band?
S: Well the other Peter Kelly - the bassplayer - was never actually in the band.
He just came in for a recording session. He never actually played a show and was
never a real member of the band.
I-94: For the uninformed, can you take us through the various stages of the
band?
S: We started in '86. Released the first couple of singles in '87. Wine Dark Sea
LP in '88. Played in America. Went to England and played there and went to
Europe in '89 where we stayed for 18 months. Released the self-titled album in
Europe on Glitterhouse. Toured Europe several times. Released "Red
Lights" in '92. Signed with Polygram. Released the "Watching
Me" EP through ID in '93. Released "Worst Place in the
World" through Shock. In 1994 we recorded the "Doom
Sessions", which was unreleased but is on the new double CD.
Through all this time, the members were coming and going. Always changing
members, changing management. That sort of became the norm. We stopped playing a
lot of shows and pretty much got in new members whenever a tour came up.
I-94: What happened to the solo tracks you cut in Chicago a few years ago?
S: I recorded some tracks there. Acoustic stuff with guitar over the top. Some
of those tracks were absorbed into Badass Roadshow. The rest - I'm working on
another project that I can't talk much about. That's where the bulk of them have
gone. That'll see the light of day one day. They sort of turned out to be demos.
That wasn't how it was intended but that's how it turned out. It's an
evolutionary process. One minute, you think something's finished. Later you
realise it was just another stage in the process.
I-94:
Is there still going to be a second Chainsaw Men album?
S: I really want to do a second Chainsaw Men album. It was great working with
Steve. Great vibe with him and the studio in San Diego. It's fantastic working
with different people in different studios.
For this album ("Electric JuJu") , we both wrote some songs that were
never released. We swapped tapes and learned each other's songs. I arrived there
one afternoon and we jumped in his jeep, drove up to the bass player's place - a
car workshop - and practised the songs under a car hoist, under these Cadillacs
and Chevrolets. The next day we went into the studio and laid it down.
It was magic! That's the way rock and roll should be - totally spontaneous and
heartfelt. Instead of spending two months rehearsing songs and knowing them note
perfect. Just getting in, getting the vibe and laying 'em down. That's how it
should be. The second disc? I'm all for it. It's just a matter of getting our
schedules together and coming up with the tracks. I'd say it's definitely going
to happen. It's just a matter of time.
I-94: So what's the
latest on local and overseas releases for your various projects?
S: Simon Chainsaw and the Forgotten Boys (pictured right) is coming out
on Tronador. We'll be doing a filmclip for that in Brazil. Hopefully, it
will get shown in Australia.
The Badass Roadshow album "Fire Down Below" will be coming out on Crankinhaus
Records. There's been a hold-up due to unforseen circumstances. It will be
out soon.
The single I recorded with the guys from Marky Ramone and the
Intruders...I've had some interest but not exactly the right deal. I want 
something
that will do the single justice. I'm actually talking to someone
now, so hopefully that will see the light of day in the not too distant future.
There's been some new tracks done for a Bad Ass Roadshow release. What I'm
looking for that is a 10" vinyl record. Seven or eight tracks, including a
killer live one done earlier in 2001. As soon as I get back to Brazil, I'll be
getting the band together and we'll be laying down some more tracks for sure.
I-94: What advantages and disadvantages do think there are in doing so many
"hit and run" recordings?
S: Looking back at the days of the Chainsaws, when it was a band situation, to
my way of thinking I was really tied down. I couldn't do what I wanted to do.
You have this faux-democratic process: People who didn't write the songs, who
don't have any managerial or organisational things to do, just turn up and play
and disappear somehow have a say in every decision that gets made. Unworkable.
Totally unworkable. Especially when these guys drop in and out.
In the end was just me and Mark (Alexander - guitarist.) We were the band. The
other guys - we got 'em and we got rid of 'em. They came and left. A very
difficult situation to handle unless you have four guys on the same mission. And
everyone always has their own agendas. For me, that's problematic.
Now, I cruise around. I drop into town. Pull some guys together and record
something. Organise a release and I wanna do some shows. I put a band together
and we do some shows.
For me working this way - I love to be on the move and I love to travel. To
have a band, as such, at this stage of my life, I'd have to stay in the one
place - and that's not really on the cards for me at this stage.
What I do like about working with different people is you really get the best
vibe. Everyone has their own style, their own thing, and when you play with a
band you have the same person playing the same style and every record is
basically the same. With different people, you get totally different records.
With a real mix of styles and chemistry. Freshness. Spontaneity. That's the way
it should be.
My records aren't rehearsed to death. We learn the songs, we lay 'em down, and
they still have that real freshness that you need for a rock and roll records.
So for me, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.
I-94: Tell us a little about working for Marky Ramone and the Exploited.
S: These are bands, and of course a few other punk bands, I grew up listening
to. They inspired me to play and, you know, made me who I am today. Just to meet
these guys, absolute living legends, was fantastic, but to actually work with
them was something else. Really nice guys. Really down to earth. These guys have
been around the scene for so long. Maybe they were a little wild at one stage,
but it's
plateau-ed out for them and they're just really down to earth, great guys.
I was living in Chicago for a while. Chicago's one of the homes of blues. You go
to these little bars and you find these 70-year-olds with guitars, singing
blues. These are guys who LIVE music. This is what they are. There's no
pretence. Seventy-years-old and they're still peeling off these licks in some
shitty dive and it doesn't matter to them because this is who they are. This is
their heart and soul.
I see guys like Marky Ramone
or Wattie from the Exploited and they're exactly the same, only they're not
playing blues, they're playing punk rock. This is what rock and roll should be.
It should be you are what you are and you do what you do. You make no apologies.
You just do it. Times change, fashions change, people change. Fans are a fickle
thing in music. The fact that there are guys (from) bands like the Stooges, the
MC5, Radio Birdman, the Exploited, UK Subs, Marky Ramone....the fact that
they're still making music, still inspired to do this...there's heart and soul
in rock and roll. It's all about being real. Understanding who you are and being
who you are.
Some many guys I've played with over the years aren't playing music now, have no
interest in music. I think they've never felt the music. I think they were there
because it was a bit of fun at the time and that was that.
I-94: I noticed the
cover you did with the guys from Marky Ramone's band of Razar's "Stamp Out
Disco". Did they know the song? Surely, you didn't have a copy of the
single with you to play to them! Or did they know it?
S: They didn't know it. I always travel around with a couple of cassettes of
old Aussie punk stuff. Everything from Lipstick Killers, Kelpies, Razar, Johnny
Dole and the Scabs, Sick Things, the Fun Things, the Scientists, Sputniks,
Vacant Lot, Young Identities, Skunks, just to name a few. These cassettes are
packed with stuff. Like I was saying earlier, this is the music I grew up with
and it inspired me to play. This Aussie stuff, this is really where I'm coming
from. I just keep these cassettes and listen to them for inspiration. They're
fantastic.
The vibe from these recordings is pure, and when you look around the world at
how many bootlegs were made form this stuff - "Bloodstains Across
Australia", "Murder Punk" and "Where Birdmen Flew" - it
just shows there is something very special about that time and that music.
"Stamp Out Disco" was always one of my favourites. I always wanted to
do that song. These guys - out of Mark Ramone's band - you couldn't have two
better guys - and the drummer, a local guy, you couldn't find a better team to
do it. It keeps all the raw elements of the original but we put our own sort of
style into it as well.
I-94: We hear a lot
about fans in South America embracing band like the Ramones in a way that never
happened in their own countries. How strong is the music scene there and how can
you explain the success of Aussie bands like Spy vs Spy?
S: The music scene is big in South America, by virtue of the large population in
each country. Without being specifc...why did Died Pretty sell more records in
Italy than in Australia? Why did the Chainsaws sell more records in Germany? Why
did the Spys sell more records in Brazil? Why did the Rifles sell more records
in Europe? Who knows? It's a timing thing, it's an emotional thing. People
getting a vibe for a certain music at a certain time. Something in the Chainsaws
struck a chord in Germany. Likewise Died
Pretty in Italy.
To a certain extent, when you're at home you're part of the furniture. You're
just one band of many on the doorstep. If you're someone from Germany, you're
not going to know about all the (other) bands (back in Australia.) They hear
about one band, they latch onto them.
I-94: How did the Chernonbyl Babies side project come about?
S: There's not a great story behind this. I came back from Europe in '91 and was
looking for something different musically to do. Hooked up with Stymo from the
Trilobites, an old friend, a guy called Bevo from Rattlesnake Shake and the
Naked Lunch. Pulled in Tony Robertson from the New Christs and
Hitmen. Got in Andy Kent on lead guitar (he went on to play bass in You Am I.)
Rehearsed some songs, did a demo. Only ever did one gig - the legendary one gig
- but these things happen. It was a lot of fun doing that, but nothing ever came
of it.
I-94: How did you hook up with the Cosmic Psychos?
S: I first met Bill Walsh back in the early '80s when I working in public radio
in Sydney and he was in the band Spring Plains. Years later he was working in
public boradcasting and I was touring with the Chainsaws in Melbourne. Years
later, we were in Germany recording a mini LP, without a drummer. Bill was in
England. We got him over and laid down the record.
We've kept in touch over the years. When I was in Chicago, they were playijng at
the Double Door (one of the finest venues.) The Chainsaws had done a version of
(the Psychos') "Custom Credit" and he said 'Why don't you come up and
sing it'.
I-94: Out of interest, what occupation do you have on your passport
application these days?
S: I have "audio-visual technician".
I-94: Since we're in a Bar, what are you drinking?
S: Since I've left Australia, pretty soon I'm going to have a hankering for
Aussie beer, so I'll have a Carlton Genuine Draught from the tap at the Espy
Hotel in Melbourne. Cheers!
READ OUR REVIEW OF "WHEN LIBERTY SMILES"
