Hello my fellow metal heads, on Thursday 2nd of December i caught up with the lead singer of The Deadthings; Julian C. Mephisto. The Deadthings are an Australian local band that often play at gigs in venues and did an interview on Julian about them over E-mail, and these are his responses:
Name:
Julian C. Mephisto
Favorite Color:
White
Favorite Movie:
Clive Barker's Night Breed
Star Sign:
Cancer
Occupation:
Musician / Sales & Marketing
Role In The Deadthings:
Lead Vocalz
Favorite Band/Artist:
Black N Blue (80's Hair Band)
Favorite Foods:
Mexican & Japanese
How long have The Deadthings been going for:
First rehearsal was May 2002, Played the first show at The Espy on October 7th 2002.
Which artist or band have influenced you in your music:
Kiss, Alice Cooper, Misfits, Poison, Motley Crue, Marilyn Manson, Ratt.
Have you got any dreams you want to fulfill before you die:
Get the Deadthings signed to a Major Label Record Company.
What would you be doing now if you weren't in The Deadthings:
I'd be in some other band chasing the dream of being a rockstar.
How was high school for you:
I was a bit of an outsider, didn’t really get along with the "cool" kids and didn’t really get along with the kids that were always in trouble. It was OK; I kept to myself a lot and just relied on my music to pull me through times when people and school sucked.
Have you been writing new material since your EP "When Hell Sleazes Over":
Yeah we have and we also have stuff that we had at the time when we did record the EP that was leftover, we have about 8 or so songs that we are happy to go with for the full length album and we will continue to write more over the next few months that we will add to those 8, hopefully we will record about 12 tracks and the album is set to be out on Halloween in 2005.
What type of band do you base your music around, or do you have your own style of music:
I think we mix a few styles, mostly Glam Rock and Metal, with a little bit of Misfits style Punk thrown in.
How did The Deadthings start in the first place:
The guitarist Leigh Van Hell used to be in a successful Punk band called The Voodoo Lovecats, I knew him and after that band had broken up we talked about putting together a band in a Trashy Glam/Punk kind of style , he had some songs (Addicted To Satan & Sign Of The Devil) and we started with those songs and put together rthe rest of the band.
How long have you been singing:
For about 8 years
Do you play any instruments:
Keyboards/Piano but not to the point where I would feel comfortable performing live.
What is your favorite subject you like to write about. Eg. teenage problems, beliefs, feelings etc.:
My favorite topic is always about Sleazy Girls, but also about what it's like to be victimized and picked on, it's something that a lot of people go through and sometimes people turn to music to help them through it.
How seriously do you take music:
I take music very seriously as a performer and as an artist, but I don't take my lyrics seriously, they are more like a horror story or a cartoon horror.
Are you devoted to your fans:
For Sure, we are fans of other artists , so we know how important it is to be there for your fans and listen to what they have to say.
What, when and where has been the best gig to perform at. Eg. Evs, etc.
I would say the best show we have done so far, would be at Geelong in the Barwon Hotel on our first trip there in December 2003.
What is your favorite thing to do when you are bored out of your brain:
Surf the Net, Watch a Movie, Go through my Cd collection and find something to listen to that I haven't heard for a while.
Have The Deadthings released any other music:
We sent out a CDR of demos to venues around Melbourne back in 2002, some of those songs were available for download from the homepage for a while, but apart from the EP that is all.
What is The Deadthing's current lineup:
Myself - J.C. Mephisto - Vocalz
Leigh Van Hell - Guitarz
Roy Reaper - Bass
Dave Scythe - Lead Guitarz
Shakir Pichler - Drumz
What is the next gig your going to play, and where:
We Headline The Espy Hotel in St.Kilda this Saturday Dec.4th, it's our last show for the year, after that will be some shows in late January.
What electronic equipment do The Deadthings use:
Leigh Van Hell uses Gibson & Ibanez Guitars, Crate Amplifiers
Roy Reaper uses B.C.Rich Basses , Korg Effects processor, Ampeg Amplification
Dave Scythe uses Gibson Guitars, EMG Pick Ups, Bad Cat Pedal ,Marshall Amplifiers
JC Mephisto uses Shure Beta SM-58 Wireless Microphones
Is the last song on your EP "I Ran" a cover version:
Yeah it's a cover of the 80's one hit wonder "I Ran" by A Flock Of Seagulls, we all liked the original and thought it would be cool to do a cover of it.
Where can people buy your EP "When Hell Sleazes Over":
The Cd is available from Peril Underground, Radical Records, HMV, JB Hi Fi, Sanity and all good CD retailers, if they don’t have it , ask them to get it, they can ALL get it for you.
We have a video for Welcome To The Horror Show going out to Channel V, Rage etc, early next year, so watch for that, it will also be available for download from our site as soon as the final editing is done.
A quick thanks to Leigh ,Roy, Dave and Shak, Automatic Distribution, Matty "The Anvil" & Stoney "The Hammer", Trixxi Trash, Kelli Wright and all our Friends, Fans Fiends and Freaks that continue to support us!!!
And Thanks Tye for the interview!!
For more information about The Deadthings and who they are, go to http://www.thedeadthings.com
