staynegative@oocities.com.
I was fortunate enough on July 19, 1999 to speak with Kenny ... and to get all those questions i keep hearing answered!
First off i'd like to say congrats to you and bonnie on your recent wedding that is wonderful to hear. There is only one left
Thanks alot. Thanks. Yeah. There's just one left.
A lot of folks have been writing asking what type of equipment and effects you use, can you fill us in?
Well, i use a fernandez sustainer guitar, that induces feedback at any volume. Power amps, ada pre amp, quadra that's it.
Song writing has always been peter's job, but obviously with sex is dead - you have a way with words. Everyone wonders, have you ever wanted or had the opportunity to write some of the lyrics.
Lyrics? Um. Pete, uh.. I don't know. Lyrics are usually a personal matter you know. I have more to do with the music than with the lyrics. Creating anything should come from one source. In other words i wouldn't be moved emotionally enough, i don't think... by writing lyrics for someone else's song. It might compliment, It might work, i guess i just wouldn't be as motivated.
Speaking of sex is dead, you mentioned in a recent sonicnet chat that you anticipate a little bit of inspiration, one fan asks have you ever considered publishing sex is dead anywhere besides the web?
Yes, I have actually. There was one magazine that was suppose to publish it, but it went down under before it even started. I am not much of a salesmen, i'm not much of a capitalist. I just sort of write and put it out and wait for something to fall in my lap - that is pretty much what i did my whole life.
So you've always enjoyed writing?
Writing. I wrote when i was in like sixth grade... something like that I always wanted to be a writer. Then i found music. And uh, I didn't write again until i was about 23 years old. Since then i've been developing. When i put sex is dead out, i was basically up against the wall. It was like i had my hands tied behind my back. I was in the middle of drug addiction and alcoholism - there was alot of sh*t going on in my life. I guess it was a way for me to somehow release and try to fly.
With regard to nosferatu - yet another great recent release with the type o name on it - did the band get to work with director wayne keeley in developing the score.
No, well... um. We did get a draft of it. But it was sort of sinked up. He just showed us what it was going to be like what it would be about. We didn't have any direct influence on him.
So unlike alot of the games (decent II, blood) you were aware of this before it came out.
Yeah we were. This one we were aware of.
So what was the bands reaction to being on this?
To be on Nosferatu? It seems like a cool thing. I had seen the silent film years ago. It was kind of strange you know? The songs that were chosen at certain parts. It was weird, you know, it's weird to have the soundtrack for an album to be the soundtrack for a whole movie. I tend to think things would work better if they are written for the script.
Another form of art the fans ask about are tattoos. They want to know how many tattoos you have? And do you regret getting them?
Yeah, i've got one, two, three, four tattoos. No, not at all man, i mean... all my tattoos happened at uhh, some turn point in my life. Like, I got this stupid sailor/panther on my arm, which i had gotten just when i hit puberty. Then my second tattoo... was the type o negative symbol which was definitely a major turning point in my life. I try not to regret anything i've done in the past what be it horrible or not. The third tattoo i got was... oh yeah this tribal crap i got around my arm, that was my first photo(?) and then i have a tribal crucifix on my forearm which i got, the most recent one, in lawrence kansas, and that was on the conception of my daughter. I didn't mean it to be that way - it just so happens, i don't know, i guess when something happens in my life, i subconsciously ... go and get a tattoo.
Outside of writing and music - what else do you find pleasurable?
Well obviously i read alot. I'm a scuba diver. I've been diving for like eight years. When I'm are on the road, i bring my gear out and try to get out there whenever i can. I've been to the gulf of mexico, and as far south as miami on the eastern side, southern california, hawaii. Well as a kid i always wanted to be a marine biologist.
And a writer!
I wanted to be alot of things in my life, i just didn't have time.
Everyone knows Josh was raised jewish and peter the whole russian orthodox/roman catholic background. Do you have any particular religion from your youth.
Well i went to catholic school as well for years. As far as ethnic background. I'm such a mutt. I'm italian, german, french, irish, and native american.
Besides pantera - what bands have you or would you enjoy touring with?
Well, you know the thing is - we enjoyed touring with pantera cause we got along with them so well. So i would say anyone who is down to earth and nice guys. It doesn't really have much to do with their music. We'd love to to go out with pantera again. Everyone else is just a big question mark... you never know. You get out on the road with them and they turn out to be a bunch of shmucks. Most musicians are assholes so, the odds are... you know. You'll be clashing somewhere.
With regard to european dates we've heard about next month... anything set in stone.
Yeah. We're leaving the nineteenth. Going over there for a week. It's going to be alot of rehearsal and international of press over there. Then two festival dates. *pause* It's somewhere in here. sh*t. I don't have the information i don't know what the hell i did with it.
Do you plan on treating the european fans with some of the songs from the new album?
Well. Um. yeah, we do. It is always often kind of awkward. Things nobody's ever heard. But i guess we have to. Its been a long time - it's been three years.
With regard to singing, you have a great voice, we've heard some of your singing in songs. Have you ever considered taking the lead on a song?
Well it's like a trade off more or less with us. There are a lot of songs on the new album that i do sing. Sort of a duets with Peter. I actually this is the most i've ever sung.
I've heard in the past the band does not particularly care if a song is playable on stage, you'd rather worry about that when the time comes and get it recorded the way you want it. Is there a reason why some songs very rarely get played, like IKYFSE or Gravity?
We did play gravity live, actually, we've played that many times. Well, sometimes we don't play songs live cause they are too long and drawn out. There are certain things you've got to cater to when you play live... you don't want to kill the show right in the middle, and loose peoples interests. We still play gravity once in a while. They are just so long - and sometimes when we are opening up... we get what, 40 minutes? We could play two songs for that if play the complete songs. We usually tone them down, edit them.
I've got to say, i've always thought it would be great to hear you guys put the 'type o twist' to Prince's When doves cry - what songs would you like to put the type o twist to? Besides the beatles tunes, which doesn't sound to be working out.
*laughter* It is working out, actually. It is on the album. We got it, actually Joshua got it.
So you'll do the medley of four tunes.
Yeah. I really got my hearts desire when we ended up doing 'she's so heavy' at the end of 'day tripper'. That was actually my suggestion, i've always wanted to play that.
Now that you've had a few years off the tour circuit, are you looking forward to going back out in support of 'world coming down'?
Um. I'm looking at it... Its sort of, i'm confused about it. Yeah, i want to get out. I'm not the type of person who can deal with stagnation and staying with one place. On the other hand, alot of things about me have changed. I've cleaned up. I went to rehab about six months ago. It's the first time in my life I'm really straight - sober. I'm afraid about that - you know about touring, taking that away from me. And, um. When i love the road I'm also going to miss my daughter. Infinitely.
What would you say is your favorite song on the soon to be released album and why?
I'd have to say, it's close between 'world coming down', the title track, and 'white slavery'
What emotions inspired world coming down? Bloody Kisses was all about angst, and October Rust was passion.
I think, uh. A feeling of a general defeat. In alot of areas in our lives, you know, just going down the road and being battered by bricks and cinder blocks for so long. Its uh, its, very, its a dark album. Alot of lost and defeated qualities to it with underlying truth that makes it stand on it's own.
Dave Burger's site reported this cd will be going back to the angst ridden days, is it actually headed that way?
There are a lot of big heavy dirge modes. There's no quick, no hard core parts.
So it's a big shift from october rust?
No, it's not, you know, the elements of type o are there, all of the elements of type o. Its just more of a shift towards our roots and what made us different. October Rust, i think is great album. I wouldn't say it was over embellished, it was a complicated album. It was, very, so complex, the layering the counterpart melodies, definitely softer. More romantic i guess is the word.
How do you feel about the popularity of MP3s - do you think this hurts or encourages the sale of albums?
M- what? (i took a moment to explain) oh, yeah! I've heard about that. I, you know... if its something new, more power to it. I don't think it's going to hurt. I just think it's going to be more of an advertisement than anything.
Peter usually talks about disbanding type o negative if the upcoming album is not a success. How do you and the rest of the band feel about this idea?
He talks about that EVERY SINGLE ALBUM. Well, you know. Let's see i've been in this band almost ten years now. There has always been a feeling of disaster coming up. Never been like any amount of security. It could be over next month.
So if this did happen where do you think you would be - would you have a 'common folk' type of job or would you migrate to another band?
Migrate? I don't know, I couldn't migrate to another band. I dunno. I don't know what i would do. I might write music. I dunno. I'd definitely keep writing. If i need to survive, and support my family, yeah i have to work. When it comes i'll deal with it.
Another fan question - what would you see yourself doing today if there never was a type o negative?
Um. What would i do, you mean professionally? Uh. I would be a marine biologist. I probably would have went to school real late, you know, like at 28 years old. I definitely would have gave up construction, cause i did that for years.
How do the women who are left behind when you are touring feel? How does Bonnie feel about plethora of women that follow the band around?
Oh, there's always been a large source of discontent. Especially now, that she's gotta take care of the baby on her own.
Is there jealousy amongst the band members at all with regard to the number of fans for one but not the other? (soft coo is heard in the background)
(away from phone baby i've got to work, gimme one minute alright?) There are a lot of glass egos around *laugh*, yeah definitely. Real jealousy? no. I don't see anyone's life better than anyone else's, especially in this band we all have our downfalls and our high points.
When you are not touring or recording do the members of the group spend a large deal of time together?
When the down time came after october rust we stood away from each other. My life is more entwined more with josh than with anyone else. Cause he is married to Bonnie's sister. And he's very attached to the baby.
Do you have any words of wisdom to the world?
Nothing works.
E-mail me:
staynegative@oocities.com.
