Interview with Los Raw Gospels, 14 June 2005

NB - Please introduce yourself.
T - My name is Tony Mortis, I play Fender Mustang and shred my vocal chords.
FJ - My name is Fiery Jack and I just drink drink drink, too fast to write, too fast to work, I just burn burn burn. I eat hot dogs, I live on pies, I'm 45 cause I am Jack. Oh yeah and I play the drums as well.
J - I am 17 years old and I wear Motorhead T-shirts.

NB - How did Los Raw Gospels start? You are all from different countries (Spain, Finland, UK) - how did you meet? Do you all live in UK?
FJ - I was just a normal happy boy walking around in the sunshine eating sweets and enjoying myself when this viking and matador came along and abducted me to their dark cave. They made me beat out a primitive rhythm to their disturbing songs of sin and deparvity and I haven't been able to escape since.
T - I came to London from Barcelona where I had been involved with the music underground scene and was keen to put a band together.
J - After the tragical end of my former band I needed a change of scenery, so I peeled off Emperor and Mayhem stickers of my guitar and decided RAWK like a bastard son of a bitch!

NB - Did you play in other bands before?
FJ - Some people have said I bear a resemblance to that guy in Black Time but I take that as a personal insult 'cos he is an ugly conceited fucker with no style or talent.
T - I played in a band called Megamortis back in the outskirts of Barcelona at the beginning of 90's. We used to play kindof anarchic rockabilly with garagerock and hotrod influences.
J - I was in a black metal band which ended when the other members were trampled to death by a goat which was meant to be sacrificed. I managed to beat the wretched beast into bloody pulp with my Les Paul copy. After that I washed off my corpsepaint and headed for London.

NB - Tell me what are your musical influences, 'cos I can hear from your CD that you like different stuff?
FJ - Peter Criss' and Cozy Powell's solo albums.
T - Yes, we're really open minded when listening to all kinds of music and our influences are varied. For Los Raw Gospels the aim is to produce good and straitforward rn'r without sticking to a particular formula. We dig bands like The Cramps, The Mummies, Gories, Link Wray etc.
J - What you mean 'we' dig!?! Never heard of 'em. I like Motorhead, Hurriganes, Alice Cooper Band and The Damned.

NB - I also see that you like beer. What is your favorite one (or 2, or 3, ...)?
FJ - When I've got the money I like all those dark polish and czech beers, but usually in rehearsal it's whatever nasty cut-price lager in a can we can get from the off-licence - double dutch!!
T - For me it must be Voll Damn (Spanish strong beer)
J - Tiger, Cobra and Karhu (That's 'Bear' for you non-finnish speakers)

NB - Tiger, Cobra and Karhu - I guess this is all Finish beer. I'm maybe going to Finland this summer. Any stuff I musn't miss?
J - Obviously you have to go sauna and beat yourself senseless with birchtwigs. After that, go and see The Mutants, 20 Minuters, Hole in the Head or Hypnomen play. And drink loads but remember, Finns don't buy 'rounds', everyone gets their own drinks.

NB - Dull City Records from Norway will release your EP. How did you get in contact with him?
T - We sent Geir some stuff we recorded in a basement on a four-track and he liked it. He wanted to do a 7' 33 rpm EP which has just come out.
J - Geir reckoned we sounded a bit like The Spider Babies, so that was that.

NB - Do you play lot of gigs and are you planning to come to Holland?
T - Yeah, we've been playing the London circuit. We've had lot of gigs and we have more coming up. Gigging is what we like best about beingin a rn'r band. And of course we'd really like to play in Holland.
J - For free booze, bad drugs and bongo mags we'll do anything. Even play in Holland.

NB - What is your favorite movie?
FJ - Man with the Golden Arm
T - Personally I would choose the early 30's black and white classic 'White Zombie' with Bela Lugosi. They just don't make movies like that any more.
J - I only watch soaps. They're far scarier than any Hollywood 'pretty catalogue mannequins get slaughtered in various post-modern ways' films.

NB - 3 things you hate most?
FJ - Guitarist, Bassists, Singers.
T - Flying kites on the beach (only surfboards allowed) Country walks (nothin' like driving Thunderbird through the woods and splash mud in the walkers faces) Not falling asleep while listening Leonard Cohen.
J - I don't hate anything. Apart from people who like things in 'ironic' way. Look, either you like something or you don't. Anyway, didn't someone say 'kitch' is Polish for shit.

NB - Anything you want to say to No Brains readers?
FJ - I can't read but sometimes if I drum real well J and Tony will read me news from the International Garage Scene from 'No Brains' as a reward and I get all excited.
T - Rn'r is basically based on hatred played by not necessarily well educated and amicable people and that's the way it should stay. the day we write a song that inspires juvenile delicuency we can consider that we've made it in show business I think, right now we're beyond the point of no return. There's no saving us now!!
J - Our previous drummer was in fact Welsh, not English. My mistake, which he made sure I realised by giving me good hiding behind the local pub. In fact, I've had to type all these answers with a pen stuck between my teeth.