THE LIGHT MACHINE FRONTMAN, STEFAN CHRISTOFF
A year ago for the zine , I did my first band interview with the 4 piece local based Bomb Fetish. Now, a year later, I ve called up the guys (now the Light Machine) to rekindle a years past . . but only the guitarist was up for it so I dealed with that. We corresponded through a mailing process so if it sounds a bit impersonal, that s because it was. And now, the much anticipated interview with the bands Stefan Christoff (who might I add id definitely on my 2o people to know in town list)
KE : there s bound to be multiple differences between the bands you ve been in. What do you notice most about your last band Bomb Fetish and the Light Machine, your current band?
SC : Bomb Fetish is obviously very strongly connected to the Light Machine as a natural occurrence in our musical progression. Many differences present themselves because of the many differences in our lives from when we were in Bomb Fetish. Since our lives have always seemed to be stimulus for our music, the changes in our lives have produced differences in our music.
KE : do you feel more confident with the Light Machine ?
SC: we are as confident as we always were. I am sure that there s doubt, however there is a common knowledge within the band that our music will be heard if we will it to be heard.
KE : who would you say is your target audience?
SC: I can t say we ve ever had a target audience. We have always been happy for anyone who enjoys our music.
KE : what do you think about the demolishing music scene in this city?
SC : a scene will come out when there is a common willingness to express creative abilities. So I leave the city s * music scene * without judgment and know that an artistic movement comes about when it is ready to be there.
KE : then how about music today in general
SC : music today is as wonderful as it always was and will be. I am delighted to see so many people around the world exposing their creative inclinations. Music is wonderful.
KE: what matters in the end
SC : in the end, truth to one s heart is what matters. I have always found that I have been joyful when I listen and act through my heart. Perhaps listening to truth to many people is a display of actions and words that once may perceive to be kindness. In that light I enjoy kindness and live with it in my life for I listen to my heart.
OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST, ROSS REBAGLIATI
He won the gold medal for snowboarding in 1998, Nagano Japan. It was revoked when traces of Marijuana were found in his system. It was later given back. He took 7 minutes out of his hectic day to answer 4 questions . . . he s Ross Rebagliati (Reb ' lee' a 'tee) and he s from Whistler BC . . . yeah!
* this interview was done one week after he won the medal.... beat that!*
A lot of people are labelling this as a conspiracy against Canada, what do you think?
RR : I don t know. It seems like they (officials) were just waiting for another 4 years since the last winter Olympics to try to bust someone. It seems to me that they re over zealous.
Have people started treating you differently since all this controversy has been exposed to the public?
RR : Not really. I had alot of people supporting me before and now i just find that I m getting more support since it s happened.
So what was it like being on the Tonight Show?
RR: Jay was cool. He came into the dressing room before the show and told his jokes and we laughed alot. Yeah, Jay was super cool, really nice guy.
Ross now that you re so well known by the world as "the best" at what you do, do you have any wise words for other aspiring athletes, or for anyone for that matter?
RR :Well,I think if you have something in mind that you re interested in, if it means taking time out after school, or before school you should do it.I started racing before I finished high school but i know that school is more important and should always come first. If you re focused on the things that are really important first, you ll probably end up doing a better job of really devoting yourself to things you have an interest in later. *
OZ BY COLE OWNER MIKE MATCHETT
If you walk around downtown like so many of us adventurless should do, you must come across the best smelling thing since enigma and the coolest looking store since Hunters & Collectors untitled OZ by Cole, I did this and asked myself why I had never noticed it before. The answer now is simply * because it just got here * but not knowing that at first I decided the best way to get myself in good with the place was to do the only logical thing left . . expose to the likes of you. (and you and you too) so without further ado (there it is again) the interview with Sequoia and Mr michael M, the newest Wizard of Oz.
KE : your store Oz has been in operation for 8months. You obviously have an interest for the arts. What made you decide to open your own business ?MM : I don t like working for people. I opened Oz as aa dream of what makes me happy.
KE: do you have some sort of bizarre fairytale fixation or is their some other reason you named the store OZ?
MM : late in the evening after midnight I put on Oz character costumes , walk downtown looking like Dorothy , sometimes the lion and when im really in the mood, the Wizard.
KE : how does an ordinary nobody get to be part of your store thru consignment ?
Sequoia : let it be funky
MM : and come talk to us
KE : whats your best seller . . . and you re worst? Sell anything so trendy it makes you sick?
MM : our best seller is incense our worst is highland art and just trends themselves make me sick.
KE : youre in the midst of opening an addictinal café to your store. Whats on the menu hmmm?
MM : we plan on serving samosas , sandwiches and an everyday lunch special. We hopefully won t poison anyone.
KE : you can have the front man of 3 bands as your employees. Who are they and why?
MM : meatloaf, kurt cobain and mick jagger. Just because I like them.
K-TOWN DJ MATT REED
Recently we caught up with Matt and got the low down on what he does, where he does it and what he thinks of it.
KE : so Matthew you re a dj. Howd you get into it and how did you know it was what you wanted to do?
DJT : amazingly enough, it was almost spur of the moment. When I was visiting a friend in Vancouver , we heard some cheesy dance song like N-Trance and it was a remix of an old disco song. And he said it d be really cool taking old songs and mixing them . so in van, I bought 2 records and came back to town and bought another 3. and during a 3 month period I ended up buying tables and mixers and noticed that I went from what I thought was ok but then when I listened to it was like oh I suck and then it was like almost over night it sounded good. From then on, it just seems like whatever I slap on, I can throw it with something else. And I love experimenting with scratching and stuff like that .its fun.
KE: what do you think about this generation s music with everything being copied and over played do you find it tedious and do you think that maybe techno could be the new thing to sort of overcome what we re seeing now?
DJT: I think the music scene now is completely played-out. Then again, all music just goes in phases anyway. So right now the heavy stuff is in the techno scene is in and of course everyone loves the crappy top40 stuff. But I think rave music is just a healthy alternative for people who want something new. Personally when I dj I go to dj and that s about it. I m not too fond of the scene itself. I think it s just a repeat of the punk rock scene. I remember going to gigs when I was in grade 10,11,12 and now spinning at raves it exactly the same. On one side of the coin you have the band, people moshing in the front, people that are totally interested, just groovin feeling the vibes and then just the wanna-be s running all over the place. It s the same as the race scene. You have the dj, people dancing checking it out and then the same thing. Lots of people who are just there to follow . I mean I e seen the same people form the punk scene that used to be hard core studs an leather, now they re wearing big ass pats whereas im dressed the exact same as before doing the same thing.
KE : where do you plan to take your music do you want to expand and make it your career?
DJT: If the opportunity ever arose, id take it in a second. One dj I totally admired came up to me and said how smooth my set was and how much he liked it. So even though I havent done it for too long I feel im progressing well. And if I did get the chance to go out of town, id take it.
KE: being a dj differs from being in a band which are everywhere do you find it more difficult making it as a dj?
DJT: I think the chances of making money are more or less the same. Dj s and bands are a dime a dozen really. They pop up every 6mths then die. With a dj its a hell of a lot easier to travel. With djs unless you re makin your own music, it s hard to make a name for yourself. You can be a club dj but you eventually have to start making your own stuff or you d never get out enough to actually make a living out of it. That s another reason why I wanna do that. It s because it s more original. And people will go, hey that s kinda cool. *
TV PERSONALITY, RUDE JUDE
Wouldnt it be nice to get paid for telling people how stupid you think they are? Well our next guest has that daily luxury. .From the suburbs of Detroit, comes the singularly titled comedic bad ass Jude. Seen on the Jenny Jones Show over 40 times, Jude has earned a rep for being an asshole. And we wouldnt want him any other way.
How d you get your start on the Jenny Jones Show
JUDE : I went on there as a bully. I used to make fun of this girl back in the day. That was in 98.It was one of those Geek to Sheik shows. And I kept blazin on everybody, so they kept calling me back cos they got a good response.
So when you re walking down the street, who knows it s you they re looking at?
JUDE :Lots of black guys, strippers , college students and high school kids.
What s the craziest thing you ve seen on the show?
JUDE:It doesnt really get that wild. Im usually the wildest one out there, and Im pretty tame.This porn star once hooked up with this ma who s son was too fat
You re from Detroit, the shows filmed in Chicago . . . How d you end up in L.A. where you are now?
JUDE :I wanna act. In movies, TV everything.
You gonna be a waiter until that happens?
JUDE: Nah I dont wanna bring anybody their ketchup but I gotta find work. Im dreading it. Jenny Jones is on break now so Ive gotta find something. I mean even in Detroit I worked in a bar. It was cool though, it was 2 nights a week, and fast cash though so it was cool.
You were a bartender?
JUDE: No I wasnt no bartender. Dont even worry about my job there.
You were a stripper Jude werent you?
JUDE: No .. . I used to have to wipe down the poles in a strip bar. That sucked. You think you d like it, getting paid to look at titties? But I got sick of seeing breasts. It was like, put some clothes on, damn
Whos the first woman you wanted?
JUDE: A girl Debbie Stanler 1st grade. This chic she liked me, me and Debbie. And we went together for like a week. But my buddy was like man , she s ugly, you dont wanna fuck with her, blah blah blah. Like everytime I wanted to hang with her, he made me hang with him. Then I got sick for like a week right . . . dont you know that that was her boyfriend when I got back. I dont do shit like that to people, Im not conniving or nothing . If Im gonna fuck you over, ill be like Hey Im gonna fuck you over You either let me do it or you dont
So where does your material come from, you just make that up on the spot? Cos some of its pretty harsh
JUDE: I say whatever comes to mind. Theres days I look at it and I get a sick stomach. I cant even watch .I cant believe that came out of my mouth. Theres nothing worse then cracking a joke and there s just silence, like crickets in the background. If you hear me saying corny shit, its usually written by the producer.
Tell me about the first car you ownedJUDE: Pontiac 6000. Bought for $100 . The front of it was smashed, only one head light. That was when I was 18. I was on probation, no license, no insurance, registration. I used to drive around in that muthafucka, dumb as hell.
So you ve actually been arrested then
JUDE: For dumb shit, The last time was when I had just turned 17. I smarted off to a cop, and they beat my ass and arrested me. This lady cop, big as hell, her name was Martinez. She called me a fuckin wanna- be or something . And I said some stupid shit to her but it provoked her and she smacked me in the face with a walkie-talkie. So I snatched it from her. Then they sprayed me with mace and beat the shit out of me, a group of cops. It was a good ass whooping to show me to keep my mouth shut and not be shut a smartass all the time.
Ever feel bad about saying the things you do?
JUDE: If you cant take a joke, dont go on Jenny Jones. I quit for a year and I felt bad about it. But then they brought on some cat that was taking my jokes and shit. Basically they were telling me you re replaceable son I was so naive, I thought the mean ness would stop if I quit but it didnt. So I thought yeah ill go back and be mean.
What d you think you d be when you were a kid?
JUDE: I wanted to be an astronaut for like a week. Then when I got a bit older it was a teacher. But they werent really things I wanted to be, it was more like . okay, now it s time to grow up, what are you gonna do? My future plans are to be an actor on tv, movies and everywhere. Then ill start a family and people will see me and ask if I was that cat on Jenny Jones and ill just be quietly teaching somewhere.
What music ve you been listening to lately?
JUDE: I havent bought a CD forever but the music Im feeling now . .. I like Eminem, De La Soul. I like AC/DC s Back In Black. People look at me and think he listens to rap but I have an eclectic taste.
Scariest movie of all time is ..
JUDE: When I was a kid Pet Sematary really scared me. That girl in the bed - Zelda? I didnt like that shit. That was scary. I dont wanna be scared, I wanna laugh. But Ive seen so many movies. But I laugh at movies that arent supposed to be funny. Like the Color Purple, that was funny. And Awakenings, with that retarde guy. Now im gonna get a bunch of letters from the Special Olympics
That s a subject you like to talk about I see. There a history behind that?
JUDE: I was in the 1st grade and taking a pee then for some reason a groups of disabled kids came in and I told one of them with down Syndrome that he was the dude from Sesame Street ( cos they looked alike) and that he had a real long head, then him and his friends tried to beat me up, I ran out. I was scared. But like if Im in a restaurant and I sit across from someone goofy looking, I gotta move.
You know you re a jerk right?
JUDE: What?! Im the most compassionate cat I know.
HALLOWEEN FRIGHT MACHINE FRONTMAN, SEVLI ANDROID
Tell me about the sound
SA : it s a mixture of metal/ glam/experimental punk and rock. It s Kiss meets Santa Clause
You re band is re-locating to Vancouver in early 2001, is that a reaction to the direction the music scene is currently taking in this city?
SA: I think the scene here does need a lot of work and there s enough bands out there to make a good scene but there isn t enough space to practice or play. We need more venues and promotion as musicians to make it work. Everywhere we try to get a show just doesnt want bands playing.
What do you think the reason for that is?
SA: they dont get enough people coming out to shows to watch. They dont profit from it. I guess thats always the way its been done in the past.
Can your band serve as an exception to that?
SA: definitely. We provide an upbeat, exciting show. We ve got costumes, make up, moves and tunes. It s original.
How do you feel about support from the local media ?
SA: we had support in the good ole days. Two of our songs were playing on the radio station and we co-hosted a radio show but there s little support left for any local band in the media I think What do you need to make your life in Vancouver work?
SA: female stage dancers . . we already have two males. We need fabulous female stage dancers who are willing to dress up im fantastic costumes.
I saw you performing Ziggy Stardust and I know you do other covers, who are your influences?
SA: well definitely David Bowie. I write all the music for the band and am very influenced by bands like sweet, t-rex, the new York dolls and blade as well, most of our stuff is fantasy based.
You re moving to a city that is already full of unsigned bands who maybe already have solid reputations as musicians. There is bound to be competition in circumstances like that. Do you think Halloween Fright Machine will make a difference at all?
SA : I think we will make a difference. With the new band its all the ideas that I ve ever had but could never try cos my band mates were afraid to go along with them cos they felt too over the top and different. We ve only paid so many shows in this city as Halloween Fright Machine so we havent really been able to figure out if we ve gone over yet.
If you re working so hard on being expressive of you own thoughts and of doing things that so much are part of you then why hide behind costumes and face paint?
SA: I dont think its hiding. I can t do it any other way. I feel we re cheating the audience if we dont go up there the way we do. It s like a play. There s costumes in everything from circuses to Las Vegas shows and everything Involved with theatre. Thats what David Bowie was trying to do at the start by taking that aspect top the stage. You ve already got the music as a soundtrack but you now need to make the best of both worlds.
What is currently in the making for the band?
SA: there s some small talk about arranging a cd but no news of when that will be available.
Is it better to burn out or fade away?
SA: I dunno. Is there a middle answer? +++
CANADIAN TV PERSONALITY, GEORGE STROMBOULOPOULOS
KE : You graduated from the broadcasting program . . .
GS : From Humber College, in spring '93 . My internship took me out to Kelowna to work at the Lizard and I was there for a couple months. I got to sit in on the music meetings, host the metal show and got to be a part of the stuff that happened there. Then cause it was an internship and I wasn't making any money, they were nice enough to give me other shifts that paid, just to take care of me.
KE : What initiated the big move from radio to TV - was that your intention?
GS : At one point, I'd been doing radio for about 7 years so when they asked if I was willing to do this kind of stuff I thought it was just time to make a move and it was the right step for me. I was working at the top radio station for what I do in Canada ; working for CFNY the Edge in Toronto and after that I was like , now what do I do? I grew up watching the New Music - like a lot of what I've learned about bands I learned because of the New Music. So when I had an opportunity to be part of that history and legacy, I had to do it.
KE : Do people ever follow you around ?
GS : Sometimes people follow me home. It's funny though, I'll just take a look out my window sometimes and there'll be someone parked out front watching. Most people are nice about it . And I'm lucky because who I am on the air is exactly who I am off the air so I'm not pretending to be anything that I'm not. If you want to walk up to me I think it's awesome but I think I'm just the same person as anybody.
KE : Which 3 things are always in your fridge ?
GS :water, pickles and syrup. . . and an empty pizza box.
KE : What was the first concert you went to?
GS : David Lee Roth
KE : You've interviewed a bunch of interesting people. Has there been anyone that's starstruck you ?
GS : I was a little weirded out when I interviewed AC/DC just because... it's AC/DC! When I was looking across at them I thought , holy cow, you're AC/DC! This is unbelievable, I wanna die.
KE : I was watching the New Music and noticed your name next to executive producer. Are you interested more in behind the scenes or more of what you're doing now?
GS : I like being on the air because I think it's what I was designed to do. But I don't just want to be on air. I like to be behind the scenes and work on stuff and come up with story ideas and luckily doing interviews I do most of my own research. I like to be a part of that stuff. I'm not just some guy that talks on television.
KE : Do you have any nicknames?
GS : Here I'm Hutch but not cause of the TV show. I tried on this shirt once and on the front it said Hutch and I was like fuck yeah . But in Kelowna I was the lizard.
KE : They burnt that costume
GS : Did they? I wore that costume.
KE : What's first thing you notice about the opposite sex ?
GS : Physically?
KE : Let's do both
GS : Well physically I first obviously figure out whether or not I'm attracted to her. But otherwise she just has to chill. I don't want to be with someone who's a maniac. Honestly, if she's cool, I don't care what she looks like. She can be as hot as hell and if she's nuts, then forget it. There are a lot of freaky people out there.
KE : On the Much Music website it titles you as the anti-host of Loud and the New Music. Is there any meaning behind that?
GS : I like music, I like to talk about music but I don't really care what the medium is. I don't look at TV as some big ass deal, cause I know it's not. Saving lives, it's a big deal. Fighting fires, it's a big deal. Being a cop, that's a big deal. Those are big gigs. I talk about records and that's an important and a big deal for me , and the death of John Lennon is a big deal and the death of Kurt Cobain is a big deal to me but I know a lot of people don't care cause it doesn't directly affect them. I love it. It gets me through the night. I'm so passionate about it so that music is everything I talk about. But, it's still just records. It's fuckin Radiohead. I love Radiohead but it's Radiohead. What Radiohead didn't do was didn't discover insulin. That's a big deal. Led Zeppelin didn't do that. Led Zeppelin thankfully wrote brilliant guitar licks to get me through what I'm saying, but it's still just Led Zeppelin.
KE : During the election you interviewed candidates like Joe Clarke, Stockwell Day and Jean Chretien. Are you politically aware when you don't have to be?
GS : Actually it was really cool to come to Much Music because I was working in radio and where I was, I really wouldn't have an opportunity to do politics the way I did here. I'm a very political person and obviously I give a shit about my surroundings. I care about what's going on and I know that politicians lie flat out. And I know that for the most part Canadians don't really put too much time into voting because the politicians for the last 30 years or even more, have shown us that they don't care and they do lie to us. So I'll just let it affect my personal life and I'll let my vote know it and it pisses me off that they lie and get away with it but they do.
KE : Who will play you in the movie of your life?
GS : They probably wont make a movie about my life.
KE : Well let's just pretend they did.
GS : Stephen Dorff, I think he's dirty enough to play me.
KE : What would happen if MTV calls you up to take a position like Matt Pinfield's?
GS : To me it's all about the job and it's all about the opportunity. So, when I get an opportunity to do what I wannna do, then I'll go wherever that takes me. I'm not lying to you, the idea of the States would be nice only because It would be nice to live in a place where it's warm. I'm interested in a lot of other things about to the States. But the reality of that is I like doing Canadian television. We don't have to put up with the garbage they do, we don't have that bible belt, that ridiculous censorship the Americans go through.
KE : If you wouldn't have found your way to what youre doing now, what would you be doing now?
GS : I have the feeling there'd be nothing else to do. I would've found this. I probably would have been in a band. I play the piano relatively competently and I just like music so I would've done something with records.
KE : What's the worst thing about your job now?
GS : There's no such thing. Music is what I do. *
This interview was done on the 20th anniversary of John Lennon's death
Interview by Laura V
EMILY, MASTERMIND BEHIND 'PORKDISCO.COM'
Alright so an all-nighter carried me into a chat room where I noticed a link on the main. Seeing it didn’t include the terms “ xxx” or “ free” I took a clickity click and found myself at the Porkdisco. What was this, why hadn’t I see it, who was behind it all? Emily, dammit. And I had my questions.
* PD stands for Porkdisco, dumbasses.
KE : Ok so how long has your site been around for and what prompted you to make one?
E: I started the site in October mostly out of boredom. I had started collecting funny pictures of people I saw on www.hotornot.com, and also posting funny AIM conversations both on a journal, and decided, with prompting from Steven (the boyfriend), that I should make a website, that those two things could go on.
KE: Where’d the name come from?
E: Porkdisco is actually a shortening of "Pork Discovery". My friend Sarah and I were goofing off in a grocery store my senior year of high school, when I spied the meat section of the store. I found a large piece of pig meat, and yelled "I HAVE MADE A PORK DISCOVERY!". I of course thought this was hilarious and it eventually got shortened down to "porkdisco" for a screen name, and it stuck.
KE: Your site seems pretty popular. What do you do in terms of promotion?
E : I don’t really do much promoting. I was bored one day and submitted the "Georgia Sex Offenders Pageant 2004" link to www.ilovebacon.com, and from there, people saw it, and keep submitting it to other popular sites.
KE : I’ve been trying to figure out what exactly goes on in the Bobbi Jo's o' Lil Rock section and I’m baffled.
E : Haha, I was looking up something online one day and came across a website of really skanky lingerie. This made me come up with my own idea of finding the most disgusting, redneck flavored people on the internet, and making a fake lingerie site with them.
KE : Why the hatred for beef ? (check out the beef hatred list)
E: Because it smells, tastes, and sounds bad. It's just completely disgusting.
KE : Let’s talk about the hate mail :
From: Yo Mama <dajohnson669@yahoo.com>
Subject: Honestly, darlin'
(1)Where DO you get the time?? Hell, I couldn't even manage to LOOK at 10% of the stuff. (2)And you actually put in the time to collect it all and comment on it? Scary.
It's true, youth really is wasted on the young. (3)Go out and play in the sunshine, OK?
E : I think the hate mail is fun, actually. It's nice to see people's opinions, and even constructive criticism about my website, but some people think that they are "cool" or funny by sending me insulting emails, which usually don't actually even apply, and are extremely poorly written.
KE : What in your opinion are the top 5 sites to see?
E : There are different sites for different categories. www.progoth.com, because he hosts my site, www.fark.com is great for news, www.homestarrunner.com has great cartoons, www.airtoons.com makes me laugh a lot, haha I dunno www.hotornot.com is where I spend way too much time.
KE : What’s your goal with PD - do you want to spread a msg of any kind or is just a way to vent?
E : Neither. I just like to make people laugh, and apparently a lot of the crap I put on there people find amusing. It's fun. I enjoy making the AIM conversations, and other things. It makes me laugh.
KE : anything you wanna add before we go?
E : Well...my butt is really nice. And worth mentioning
There you have it folks , now we know the truth behind this new found glory. New for me, anyway. And I’m all that matters. For more, visit www.porkdisco.com and check out the store cos that shit’s cool. I'm gonna go eat a burger, that beef talk made me hungry.*
Interview by Laura V
CANADIAN COMIC, ROMAN DANYLO
I love to laugh. And if you know me you know I know who's funny. Sure. there's different kinds of funny that appeal to different kinds of people. But there's always a base funny ; a funny that can please anyone. And Roman Danylo is it. Going through my Top 30 comedians video tape I stumbled upon a 1995 taping of the Calgary born comic and thought it'd be especially neat to see what he was up to. And with the help of my speaker phone and micro mini recorder thats just what I did.
It's been said in the past that the root to all humor is a troubled childhood but what about the trouble that comes after a good childhood, when you' ve just impersonated your Ukrainian German mother to a room full of strangers on television? "COMICS was the first thing I had televised and mum was not happy. I didn't anticipate that. She was pretty upset. " Roman explains, " (she) was like 'how can I ever go to church again? I can't believe you said those things.' So not only did she not like it but I had disgraced the whole family." So we've learned early on that unless you've already stopped talking to your family, mentioning them is not the best way to go while the possibility of hurt feelings lingers.
But if the material doesn't come from home where does it come from? Danylo says improv is the greatest generator of comedy from his experience. And with his work in projects such as the currently filming Western Alienation Comedy Hour and small roles in features "The Omen" and "Duets" he differentiates between the schedules held for both television and films. " I like the schedule for TV better. If you do a sitcom or series thats comedy based you have this 9-5 Monday through Friday schedule . But movies are ridiculous 14 hr schedules . I guess the product in the end is probably the best , the brass ring but the process is probably the most torturous." So aside from the timeline, what does Roman think of the perks of working with some of the industries biggest names while dividing his year between Vancouver, Toronto and LA? He could care less. " When you're in LA they're (celebrities) everywhere. If I'm around a celebrity I try and play it cool like it doesn't matter to me. but it does. And cos I wanna play it cool I usually end up not saying anything at all. " And as far as idols and co-stars go? "I dont aspire to work with Martin Scorsese or Robin Williams or anything like that . I'm trying not to focus too far ahead. So I wanna work with whoever I'm working at the moment and enjoy working with those people."
When you're an actor the bad reviews if any, don't come out until release day and for all the critics know you could be hidden away in your Malibu estate by then. Being a stand up comic, you have to roll with the punches, then and there and sometimes people don't think youre all youre cracked up to be . " It happens fewer & further between now, to fall on my butt but I think you kinda almost have to aspire to that when you're taking a risk and doing something different. I think you have to get to the point where you really don't care about other people's opinions. And sometimes those people are the audience. Your job is to press a button and make them laugh and you succeed when that happens. But you can't get too wrapped up in it, " he rationalizes " If I'm working a bar and no one laughs I can say 'well it's a bar, maybe they're not laughing cos I'm not slipping into and that's ok to fail in that type of environment. "
The basis of this statement is true. There are a million different types of humor and sure enough we all lay our interest in our own but what does someone whoae profession is based on humor find funny? " What doesn't make me laugh is your regular Screwball comedy. I will rarely go see a comedy at all. They just don't work for me. But Punch Drunk Love, that was great. There's a level of substance underneath it that's pretty cool. " he goes on to talk about colleagues " Brent Butt, he's probably one of the funniest guys in Canada. Kevin Nealon, and a guy from LA, Nick Swardson -there's a lot of good comics in LA"
As for my personal experience in the comic industry, which is based solely on speculating rather than participating, it is very hard these days to find someone whose humor steps outside of the crude and/or slapstick way of things. So why pick such a competitive field to begin with ? " It's great not having to take stuff seriously. When you do comedy there's always a base of basically just screwing around and having a good time and that's when you do it. That's when it works well. If you take it too seriously it's not gonna work well. You gotta have that sort of playfulness. " And while they do strike a funny bone, with people like Tom Green and the Jackass crew remaining on top of todays comedic scale , there lies wonder if room is still available in the spotlight for the more intelligent uninfected exhibitions of some of todays yet-to-be-discovered entertainers.
Before we said our good-byes I asked the now thirty three year old comic how he decided comedy was for him. "I started it when it was in high school " he said " and it was easier than math so I did it." *
Check out Roman s website http://www.romandanylo.com or in Vancouver every Monday night at the Urban Well and in Kelowna in the beginning of August for the comedy festival. ***
Interview by Laura V
HOLLYWOOD MOVIE MASK MAKER, TREY SANFORD
Normal 0 The Exorcist. Scariest damn movie I've ever seen. Why? Cos it was based on a true story and it messes with the whole good vs evil, like most movies do in a sense but this freaked the hell out of me. When I was 12, when I was 16 and when I was 20. And nothing, my friends, has changed, But for others, it's the visuals that are scariest. Hell, after watching Michael Jackson's Thriller video one Halloween night when I was a kid you could bet your ass I wasn't setting foot outside, no matter how much candy was involved. Point being, makeup can be scary! But it is an art. And, as working as a behind the scenes makeup/sculpturer for various films, such as Pinata and The Convent, it is an art 27 yr old Trey Sanford of L.A. is no stranger to. And because we are a superficial society, we will also discuss the Trey we can actually visualize with our eyes as well as Trey we visualize thru his masks!
KE : so what, in a few words what does the behind the scenes Trey Sanford do ?
TS : moldmaking, fabricating, airbrushing, sculpting, mass production.
KE : you're a good lookin guy and have some job experience to back that up. how'd the modeling / acting start?
TS : my friend's girlfriend's mom got us a job on Moesha. I signed up with entertainment partners, and worked on Dharma and Greg the next day. after that I worked a lot on The Gilmore Girls and Friends. David Schwimmer told me to act natural
KE : and you were on 6 feet under...
TS : Yeah, one time I had to draw a picture on Six Feet Under. I was a student in the new season, in Clair's art class. I drew a cool demon. The viewer can't see it but all the crew was swarming around me checking it out between takes and I came back to work on the show 3 months later and it was still there! Todd Masters does the FX for the show and bought me some beer at the bar 6 years ago at a Fangoria convention.
KE : you've been on the big screen too. Catch me if you Can and the Hot Chick for instance. Discuss.
TS : it was very interesting to work with Speilberg. I was a cop, in the airport scene with Tom Hanks and when Leo ( DiCaprio) walks by with the stewardesses. 2 days, 2 scenes.
KE : Alright, now back to your sculpting work ; you've worked on plenty projects, and I've seen some that are pretty neat! What've you been most proud of so far ?
TS : I guess my current project which is a mask sculpt of Spawn Viking age Skullsplitter - I'm not finished with it yet.
KE : so is it safe to say your current career a result of growing up on morbid films?
TS : my third parent the TV.
KE : where's the real passion of TS stand?
TS : I wouldn't mind taking advantage of my youth and getting paid to look good, then when I'm fat and bald I can live my life as a sculptor of the most innovative and twisted ideas that are conceivable of the mind. I want to live a life that s stress free and work plays an important role.
KE : where have I seen your masks?
TS : I worked for Cinema Secrets. I was the moldmaker for Austin Powers and Micheal Meyers . Piniata, I helped on the majority of the effects on that movie but of course the Chiodo bros. did take the credit. I also helped build the cat on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
KE : ever been star struck?
TS : Adam Sandler, he was cool - and Michael Douglas.
KE : what if you weren't Trey the makeup guy, what would you be doing?
TS : probably selling computer stuff with my brother...or be a strip club DJ.
KE : anything we should know?
TS : Disney is evil.
So there you have it! The lovely trey. Both beauty and talent. After the interview I asked Trey what he wants in life. His answer? " I just want a Pepsi" . For more scary things to look at check out his site at http://www.geocities.com/skullcrusher66/.*
Interview by Laura V
EXTREME DIRTBIKER, KRIS GARWASIUK
Imagine the elation of doing what you love for a living, on weekends only, and getting recognized for it at the same time. Canada's first professional freestyle motocross celebrity Kris Garwasiuk of Kelowna has that luxury. After his performance at the Outlaws Of Motorsports this past weekend at Skyreach Place , Kris talked about what he does not only as a profession but as his contentment as well.
KE: You started biking when you were four . . .
KG: It was a family thing. Every weekend me and my dad, my brother and mom would pack up the trailer and head up to the races and it kinda turned into freestyle. I was always one of the guys that if like I won a race id do a trick off the finish line jump or something like that. And then I got sponsored by SMP clothing out of the US and they brought me down for the first ever freestyle motocross event and I did pretty good, I placed 4th and ever since then I got signed and just been doing freestyle ever since. That's my profession now and that's where I'm making money at.
KE: You were featured in THQ'S "Championship Motocross 2001" a videogame, how d that happen?
KG: I'm one of the top 1st original 12 guys in the world doing the freestyle stuff so they basically picked 9 of us and put us in a video game. I got to be in it and it's pretty cool. Not too many Canadian's have been featured in video games like that so it was a big milestone in my career.
KE: Being at your last show, there were shirts with your name written on them, for sale. How does it feel to know you're a role model for other people out there?
KG: I dunno, it's weird cos I still look up to a lot of people in the sport like guys that I ride with and guys that I am riding with I've always looked up to them and thought an how it'd cool itd be to be doing what they're doing and now I am. I'm kinda modest I guess, I don't really think of myself as any greater than anyone else.
KE: Alright, you do a ton of jumps each time you're out there. Are you ever so many feet off the ground thinking, "Oh my God, I'm gonna die!" ?
KG: (laughs) It's a little freaky sometimes. After you've done a new jump once or twice you've got it basically. I've been on bikes all my life and been doing freestyle for the last 10 yrs so I've done over a thousand different jumps so it comes with experience. I really don't get that scared anymore.
KE: What'd you have planned in terms of shows coming up?
KG: I'm heading to Toronto this weekend for TSN OLN invitational freestyle motocross - top 6 Canadians, we're invited. It's sponsored by Kawasaki so they're pumping me up that I'm the number 1 guy so think I'm gonna go out and prove to them that I am the number one guy.
KE: Tell me in your own words about your affiliation with the sport
KG: Well cos I am the first Canadian to be doing it pro, it gives my edge on the competion. They're a small handful of guys here that are doing it. I've done some to the most prestigious events in Canada and the US as well, The X Games and so on. I've had the rare privilege to able to travel around the world and do what I love to do, and it's something I'd be doing even if I wasn't being paid so just being paid is a bonus and meeting a lot of cool people and having a good time.
KE: When you hear your name next to "youngest" and "only Canadian", does it put some pressure on you?
KG: I'm a little bit pressured this weekend cos I really wanna win. Because it's gonna be one of those events where whoever wins, they're gonna be called the best in Canada. So I dunno, I have one or two guys that'll be competition for me but I think I should able to take it and hopefully walk away with the medal. I feel confident.
KE: What if bikes weren't what you were doing?
KG: I don't see myself fitting in with 9-5 same routine everyday. I usually sleep til noon then go hang out with buddies then do my thing on the weekend. All my buddies are mad ," you make more money than me and you don t even work!"
KE: Last night a truck drove into the stands, has anything like that ever happened with you?
KG: Well, I've broken some bones in my body , about 10. My grandparents are always telling me quit doing that, "When you're my age you'll be sorry!" Yeah but when I'm their age I won't be able to do this. So I dunno, you get hurt sometimes but how many kids my age can say that they're in a video game and make good money and have a lot to show for? And it all comes from support from great sponsors and I have great parents that've helped me out along the way to get to where I am so without all their help I wouldn't be anywhere.*
Interview by Laura V
MIKE, CREATOR OF XMIKE.COM
KE : how long has the site been up?
MIKE : march 2002
KE : when did the idea of people rating each other's body parts on a website strike your fancy?
MIKE :it started with a thong picture and ratemythong, then it just sorta grew.
KE : do people in your city know about your site?
MIKE : I'm sure, but no one has ever made a big deal about me being from Portland locally.
KE : what's your day job?
MIKE : web developer for a fortune 500 company
KE : where do you wanna go with it?
MIKE : build it into more of a community site (almost ready)
KE : does your mother know about this little project?
MIKE : more or less. I've showed it to her briefly.
KE : do you maintain the site on your own?
MIKE : I've written everything from scratch myself, and approved pictures by myself for a long time. Within the last few months I've started getting more approvers on to help out, so I can focus my attention on coding more features and whatnot.
KE : what does your girlfriend think about various naked women paying homage to you with their nakedness?
MIKE : there's almost just as many guys who submit photos of their crotches and whatnot...it evens out.
KE : do you get any sort of income from your site?
MIKE : not really. The site generates enough money to pay for itself with a little extra (which will go towards paying the taxes on the income that the site brought on since it's not withheld)
KE : what's left to rate?
MIKE : as far as topics? When the new site launches I'm going to add a lot more. bodyparts, clothing, and other subjects like cars, etc.
KE : and most importantly, what was the last concert you went to and what car do you drive ?
MIKE : I don't hit up many concerts, last one was Metallica over 3 years ago heh. I drive a Mazda protege (not a big deal) but I want a bmw m5 *
PROCLAIMERS FRONTMAN, CHARLIE REED
I know you know the "500 miles" song and I m happy for you, really I am. But there s more to the Scotland born Proclaimers then what you think you know. I sat down with one frontman Charlie Reid (front) to discuss what s been going on since the last 500 miles, walked in a course of over 8 years .
Who have you been influenced by?
CR: When we first started out it was bands like The Clash, the Jam ,Paul Weller, Sex Pistols, the Beatles, Rolling Stones. Then some reggae. Our parents always listened to stuff like Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles so some of that as well.
So how did " Im gonna Be" on the Benny & Joon soundtrack come about ? CR :The actress in the movie, Mary Stuart Masterson just liked it a lot so it was put in. And that helped us a lot cos when that movie had come out, that was an old song of ours. We also have an older song on the Shrek soundtrack cos Mike Myers had liked it as well.
What do you want to happen with the release of this album?
CR: Tour. Thats the most important thing. We ve had a bit of radio play in Toronto and Vancouver and some in the States so we re looking to turn bits into lots.
Who have you met in the business that you just hated . . . .or really liked?
CR: I havent really hated anyone. But Paul McCartney, nicest guy. We were doing a show on Top of the Pops and met him there. He s great, really nice.
In terms of writing new songs, how do you do write something that hasn t been written before?
CR: I do find it hard.If you sit down and start to play something that sounds like something else, you ve just got to start again. Older. Our subject matter has changed. We ve written about people being born, people dying. It s a development of things we ve done before ; male and female relationships. It s older. Not wiser, but different. When you try to write about these things being the same at 39 as they were when you were 19, you re lying. I dont know how people can do it.
How s it being in a band with Craig?
CR: It s great. We ve played together since we were 16. We ve always wanted the same thing. We argue about petty things but we re identical twins so our likes and dislikes are similar too.
What if there wasnt this for you, what d be your next choice?
CR: That d be a nightmare. A gardener, a laborer. I ve just always done odd jobs since I d left school ; sort of just bummed about. Maybe an actor. But I don t know, I always knew I wanted to do this.
If you could have worked with one person who s no longer alive , who would it have been?
CR: There s two. John Lee Hooker, great blues singer and Chet Atkins. Who , Im surprised there wasnt more said about his death cos he changed music. Excellent musician.
Is there a band out there now who you think will still be around in 20 yrs?
Coldplay. I d like to think that anyway. There s some bands that make a great first album and then either never do it again or split up. Some bands can right a first album so good, that it tours for them.
I watched the Glastonbury festival in 95 and fell in love with it, have you ever played one?
CR: An early one in 87. It was just me and Craig and we performed at 8am. Everyone just getting out of there tents, and we without a band, just an acoustic duo. We sat and played guitar there for a bit. Then we did again in 89 with a band and that was in front of 60000 people. And it was fantastic.
Who are you mostly trying to reach with your music?
CR: Mainly crowds from mid 20s to mid 40 s who are into guitar based good time old rock n roll style music. And who have a sense of humor and hopefully are fairly intelligent (laughs).
Tell me about your feelings on what music is like today, regarding the whole pop thing
CR: What s happening now is what s been going on since the start. Bands are hired for their look and for how close the company can mow them. But the problem with them is that once the teenage fans go, they ll have to either re-make a new career or find an entirely different one or it s over.
You have made 4 albums now, whats your favorite song from the band?
CR: A song off the 2nd album called Sunshine On Leath. Its a good song which ties in the love of a place and a love of a woman and a sort of belief in a higher power
What s something you ve done as a band that you wouldnt do again if given the chance?
CR: It was in 1987 we had a fairly big hit with a #3 single called Letter From America. And we were asked to play a BBC Christmas show at an exhibition place in Scotland. And we had to sing a song on a children s round-a-bout. It would have been different if it was a humorous song but we didnt know we d be asked to do that. I was sitting on this choo choo train and my brothers up on an elephant and it was just wrong for us.
Who are 5 artists or bands you d choose to tour with?
CR: Finnley Quaye, Catatonia, The Band, Tom Jones and Coldplay. The thing about Tom Jones though, I had gone to see him and he was just phenomenal., his voice at 66 is amazing. And the guy tours 266 days a year every year and it s just incredible.
How did you know this was it for you?
CR: When I was a kid id always watched Top of the Pops and just knew. But I had been doing drama and that when I d got out of school. It was when I was coming back from an interview though, and I was reading and interview with done with the band Simple Minds and I knew that this acting was something I wanted but also I didnt want. This is what I wanted to do.*
Interview by Laura V