The ReVolts

The Re Volts are an upstart punk band comprised of contributing members from seminal punk rock acts like the Swingin’ Utters, Me First and the Gimmee Gimmees, One Man Army, US Bombs,and The Forgotten. I almost forgot that last one. Anyway I had a chance to sit down for an interview with the busiest man in punk rock: Re Volt front man Spike Slawson. Also grab a note pad for a great omelet recipe that will be sure to please. Thanks to Melanie Kaye for setting up this interview and for having so many fresh ingredients for brunch at her house.

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Lanny Bolger (LB): So Spike let’s introduce yourself and let us know just which one of the many bands you are in are you playing for tonight?

Spike Slawson (SS): I’m Spike Slawson and I am playing with the Re Volts.

LB: So how is this current tour going so far for you guys?

SS: It’s had it’s up and it’s had it’s downs.

LB: Yes I over heard about your border crossing problems, which must have been the downer?

SS: No no no Yes!!! But then we had the show tonight, which was great. It was really cool.

LB: So I was doing some research online about you guys, and because your band is fairly new, well I couldn’t find a whole lot of information about the Re Volts. Really the only thing I found was a Melanie Kaye Facebook status update that you were going to the market with her and making dinner. Now obviously with the border trouble that dinner didn’t happen. But I think what everyone wants to know is what would you have made for dinner?

SS: Our fuel pump broke, and ugh, how far is it to Montreal?

LB: Five hours or so.

SS: So going 60 in this thing for five hours? Beautiful man, well then I don’t have to fucking leave until noon tomorrow. Sorry man. You just made me think of all that with the meal question. Now I can make brunch instead. We can fit a nice meal in tomorrow.

LB: So what will you make tomorrow for Melanie to make up for last nights mishap?

SS: Just an omelet. Some mushrooms, green onions, a little port wine right! A little pepper, and then set that aside. Then some parmesan cheese, and then you make your omelets and add your filling. Does that make sense? Does that sound nice? Do you have greens? Can we get some nice Italian bread tomorrow?

Melanie Kaye (MK): Yes!

SS: Do you have shallots?

MK: Yes!

SS: Do you have mustard, red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil?

MK: Yes!
 
SS: Dude that’s it, we are going to have an amazing meal. We are there!

LB: Can I come over for brunch?

SS: Sure. Do you guys have any of that nice German mustard too?

MK: No we have French’s but we also have a nice Russian one too.

SS: Oooo that will make nice vinaigrette won’t it?

LB: All right I’m getting hungry let’s get back to music. Tell me a bit about the Re Volts. Some of the players, the alumni etc.

SS: There are several. Right now we are touring with Heiko. He played bass in One Man Army and the US Bombs. He’s playing bass for us now. Who else? We have Nick from the Forgotten from San Jose. He has a band of his own called the Uglies. We also have a guy names Chris playing drums who we just know through the city. But we have people who have contributed to the band like Darius Koski, Jack Darymple, but they can’t really tour. We also have Paul Scavuzzo from New Jersey who may come up and play with us.

LB: So it sounds like a bit of a musical collective kind of thing.

SS: Yes exactly. But I think the band should be the name not the musicians themselves. I don’t know why people think that they have to include pictures and list the members. To me that seems so arbitrary. It’s the record that’s important not the entity of people. I think Queens of the Stone Age kind of do it that way don’t they?

LB: Yes I’d say they have a bit of a revolving door of musicians coming through most of the time.

SS: But it’s still one cohesive unit. That’s kind of cool to me.

LB: I’d say people too often get caught up in who the players are and loose sight of what the final product sounds like on record.

SS: And their personalities too. I just think it’s toxic to think that way.

LB: So being in so many bands that each have their own distinct style, just what musical craving are you satisfying with the Re Volts?

SS:  I’m trying to get to some glam rock kind of shit, which is where it totally fucking stops and starts with me. I’m not talking about the Los Angeles stuff. I am talking like the Anglo early seventies stuff. That beat is just it for me. It’s the most exciting music. That’s why punk is so exciting, because it just took that beat and sped it up. It’s what all the kids weaned on. Maybe the cooler kids listened to T Rex and Bowie, and all the dick heads and butt heads listened to Slade and Sweet. Do you know what I’m talking about? Have you listened to those bands?

LB: I have listened to a little Slade.

SS: Yes man it’s heavy. That beat. They are a little more not downtown but like fucking more aggressive pub rock and Sweet are kind of like silly pop, but they are both rad.

LB: So are you the main lyricist for the Re Volts or is it a total group effort?

SS: I guess I’m the main one. Darius wrote Kick it Over, but everything else I wrote the lyrics for.

LB: So are the Re Volts affiliated with a label right now?

SS: We put out a record on Pirate Press.

LB: Will that be the home of future material?

SS: I don’t know. The guy just likes our music and gets behind it because he likes it. He’s got a pressing plant and a printing business that he does real well with, so I don’t know how much he really wants to get into the music industry. As far as sinking that kind of money and energy into a record well I just can’t say for him that he wants to do that. We’ll see.

LB: Well I am sure you know people who know people that could help you out hahaha.

SS: I don’t know man there is not a lot of money out there these days for this.

LB: Would you say this is a bad time for music?

SS: No a good time for music. You just have to work harder.

LB: I’m noticing the Pittsburgh Penguins tattoo. Did you know Sid the kid brought the cup to Canada today? Maybe he can come meet you in Montreal.

SS: Wow, I did not know that. You know I didn’t even watch the playoffs at all. I had been on tour for a month, and then I went on vacation in Tuscany and I was in this town Lucca because it’s my favorite city in the world and while I am there I see these obviously American tourists gesturing to me to come over. I was like what the fuck do these people want? The lady was pointing at my tattoo and the guy was “Hey how about those Pens?” I replied that the Pens were a terrific team and he looked at me all incredulous and said “No they won the Stanley Cup! In game seven! In Detroit!” Well I simply didn’t know. It was weird to hear a Pittsburghese accent in Italy telling me that the Pens won the cup. It didn’t make any sense. Do you know the mid Atlantic accent?

LB: No I couldn’t say I could decipher one.

SS: Like Philly or Baltimore? Do you ever watch any John Waters’s movies?

LB: Nothing is coming to mind.

SS: What about the Wire?

LB: Ohhh I love the Wire.

SS: You know how they talk then? They so auunnn for on.

LB: That’s how they do it in the B’Moore.

SS: Exactly. Well cross that with like fucking West Virginia Appalachian hillbilly shit and that is Pittsburghse. People in Pittsburgh say Yins. It’s a contraction of youins. That’s what they say for you guys. Yins. I’m not joking.

LB: Hilarious.

SS: It’s disappearing from the vernacular but whatever.

LB: That’s too bad.

SS: Yins going downtown! Seriously. So standing in Italy and hearing that accent telling me the Pens won the cup was very memorable for me.

LB: So what’s more annoying. Playing in one of your bands and having audience members scream for you to play a song from one of your other bands? Or crossing the Canadian border?

SS: It’s close but I have to go with crossing the Canadian border. This time was exceptionally awful. I had to be told to go to the back of the bus. This time was bad. I was up here just freaking out. I thought we weren’t going to make this show. I thought we were going to miss all three Canadian shows. I thought we were going to get three days off that we couldn’t afford. And then just money makes it all go away. It all goes down to that transaction. No matter what happens it all comes down to money, and then they will let you through. We gave them money. They didn’t like us. They didn’t trust us, and they let us know about it. Somebody walked right by us and looked at me and said “Are we going to make the Queen some money right now?”

LB: Holy fuck! Do they just hate their jobs?

SS: No I think they loooove their jobs. I think they hate their lives. They love it. I don’t even think they are conscious of it half the time.

LB: Well sorry to end it on that downer, I just had to ask. Thanks a lot for talking to me after what was probably a shitty day. It was a great show. What are some short term plans for the Re Volts?

SS: Well no more five-week tours. Unless my wife can come. But she runs a tight ship. But I like that.

LB: She keeps you in line then?

SS: She keeps everyone in fucking line.

LB: Thanks again man!

SS: Cheers to you!