I’m meeting Bloodhound Gang bassist Jared at the Zoo for what promises to be an interesting interview.
Before I heard of the Bloodhound Gang, The Bad Touch was a game my local pastor played with me, you guys probably wouldn’t understand but it was all-innocent, I just couldn’t tell the authorities. Then came the hit single and suddenly ‘visiting’ the Parish took a back seat to watching the Discovery Channel and being strangely aroused.
The band has moved on from their controversial single, to a string of other controversial singles and hanging out with the injury prone guys from Jackass. Surely spending so much time watching people do shit to each other must begin to affect their music?
“I don’t think so, every jackass in Pennsylvania acts like that. The only difference between every jackass around here, and the actual Jackasses is that those guys found a way to make millions out of it. Going over a cliff in a shopping cart, every 17 year old does that.”
It is only now I realize that the Zoo we’re in doesn’t actually have any animals, or people, and given the band’s history for bestiality, I begin to freak out. There is no one around, and Jared is holding a gorilla suit, and a video recorder.
He holds the suit up against my body and says “Might be a tight squeeze but should fit”. I laugh it off but begin to fondle the rape whistle given to me after the father McCallum was unfairly taken away.
I’m interested to know the inspiration for the Gang’s inventive lyrics.
“All of our music is influenced by cable television. As children, we lived so far from anywhere, that you couldn’t walk to anywhere, so you had to stay home and watch TV, so everything is based on crappy television. Our songs are a kind of a musical soundtrack to old shows. Now it mostly comes from what were talking about, in the dressing rooms or on the tour bus.”
The unique style will be hitting Sydney as part of the Soundwave tour. This year’s line up however reads like a hit list of the best Metal bands in the world, will the Gang step it up to fit in, or tone it down to go unnoticed?
“I think were going to get rid of the fag stuff and go for the metal shit. People are going there to see NIN and Alice In Chains, I don’t think they’re going to want us to get up there and play some faggoty European music, like a disco in Berlin.”
I agree whole-heartedly, as I do up my jacket to cover my Digitalism t-shirt. We stop near the lion enclosure and he asks me if I think this is a good spot.
‘For what’ I say, trying to hide my fear.
“Oh nothing” Jared says, smiling as he begins setting up the tripod.
Being an all male band, with endless groupies, surely they’re keen to have some bonafide rock n roll experiences in Australia..
“Its been a long time since we’ve been out, almost 10 years, but we’ll party hard. Though I don’t think our livers can handle all that Fosters.”
I inform him no one really drinks Fosters, except characters on the Simpson’s and people from the UK. One way to be truly Australian is to embrace the local culture, and Jared already has a few ideas.
“I think were gonna try and do as many covers as we can get, maybe a Veronicas cover, maybe some Kylie. I also plan to practice the boomerang. I’ve thrown a boomerang before. It came back, hit me right in the head.”
There is plenty of room to practice the boomerang at Eastern Creek raceway, the venue for Soundwave. The band probably doesn’t know what to expect, but it’s the kind of place where ‘Show us your tits’ is less of a question and more of a condition upon entry.
“I think we’ll be hanging out, and being hillbillies ourselves, I think it’ll work out great. Now have you ever made love in a Gorilla suit?”
Catch The Bloodhound Gang at Soundwave on Sunday 22nd February!
Or the boys will also be playing a sideshow with Less Than Jake at The Metro on Feb 23
