CHOP SUICIDE INTERVIEW
TrashPit Magazine
Nottingham, UK
November 18, 2007
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Upon hearing the split of Toronto Canada's Red Light Rippers back in the summer just before they were due to head out on another UK Tour came as a big shock here at TrashPit HQ. Long time supporters of the magazine, RLR seemed to be one of those bands that were in it for the long haul - big time DIY, great performers and a real Rock n Roll heart. So from the ashes of RLR it wasn't a massive surprise to hear that their guitarist Staci T. Rat was back out there on the frontline once again with a new project in record speed! This time, with Chop Suicide, yet another in your face, balls out rock combo. Still in the early stages but with great promise, TrashPit wanted to get in there first and here how things were cooking across the Atlantic so we spoke to Staci and vocalist Danyell.....
1) So, tell us a little about how the band came together? How'd you meet each other?
Danyell: Well, I moved to Toronto about 6 months ago and my first plan of action was to start a band with Staci. I've wanted to do something with him for a long time, cuz I think the two of us together would be unstoppable.
Rat: Yeah, we got together one afternoon at her place with an acoustic (well, actually it was an electric, just not plugged in) and one of those little hand held cassette recorders to see if we could come up with anything and to talk about what kind of band we wanted to start. I played a couple of riffs and she sang some ideas. I think it only took about 5 minutes to realize that we were about to start something really, really good.
We got together about 3 or 4 more times the same way and then had 2 rehearsals at a rehearsal studio with a drummer (Bonz – who rules!) and then the next day we went and recorded the demo that you can hear on our MySpace profile.
Bam! Just like that!
It's only gonna get better from here!
2) Any luck on the drummer situation? Are you rehearsing or just doing demos?
Danyell: It's been really frustrating. I've never had so much trouble finding a drummer. We are looking for something exact and we have had a hard time finding someone who fits. We would rather hold out for the right guy/gal than just take anyone
3) Who came up with the name, it's really fun!
Rat: Danyell and I had thought of quite a few names that we liked, but when we started looking into them, we discovered that they were all taken already. A few days later I was sitting around with my girlfriend and she was just reading out cool phrases and words at random from a book called Hollywood Babylon and she said Chop Suicide and I said, write that one down. When I talked to Danyell, she liked it, and that was that.
It turns out that it is actually the title of a chapter in the book. Luckily for us, it is a good book - haha
It makes me smile every time I hear it.
4) You must have been gutted when RLR came to an end after all the hard work and imminent UK Tour? Had the band run its course or was it totally out of the blue?
Rat: Being in the Rippers was a lot of fun and a good learning experience. Yeah, I was pretty disappointed when RLR broke up. I put a LOT of work into that band. But everything happens for a reason and here I am now with Chop Suicide, so I can't complain.
5) I really like the switching of the two lead vocals in the new band and always been a fan of bands doing that. How are you enjoying taking lead vocals?
Rat: I like it! I like it a lot! I won't be singing to much, maybe 2 songs in a set, or something like that, but we think it adds a nice dynamic that most rock bands don't have, specially live.
6) Are you approaching the songwriting and overall band differently this time round to when you were in RLR?
Rat: Yeah, definitely. The Rippers had a formula, and we didn't stray from it to much. It seems that Chop Suicides formula is to have no formula at all. We have written songs in so many completely different ways and they all seem to end with us nodding our heads going, yep, another good one :-)
7) What's the current musical climate like in Canada at the moment? There was a strong buzz that filtered over to the UK sometime ago but it's gone a little quiet.
Rat: Yeah, I know what you mean. There were a lot of really good bands a few years ago making a lot of noise, but they seem to have all either broken up, run out of gas, or become drug addicts and gone underground. There are still a few of them around who kick ass, like Crystal Pistol from Vancouver and C'Mon from Toronto, but not too many good new bands are starting. Well… not until now ;-)
8) What bands have you been enjoying listening to lately?
Danyell:>Nothing new for me. Same old stuff. Nothing new interests me, so I listen to a lot of local bands that I have been listening to for years already like CJ Sleez, The SInisters, Riot Star, Cheerleader and Action High. Staci was in 3 of those 5 bands, so you can see how cool it is for me to be playing with him.
Rat: I think my favorite right now is Apes IQ – from Stockholm, Sweden. They are excellent if you like super distorted songs about fucking, bitches and money
Also, a band from Cleveland, Ohio called the Whiskey Daredevils. They are really, really good live. It's cowpoke, rockabilly, stunt driving, beer swilling' music with a country twang. Real good shit!
9) When can we expect to see some kick ass Chop Suicide Merch hitting the street?
By the time we are touring we will have lots of cool merchandise, but for now, we just have the usual stuff like stickers and buttons, that we gladly give to everyone we meet.
I am eagerly waiting for my new guitar picks to arrive :-)
One thing we do have already are 12" clocks that are for sale through our myspace profile www.myspace.com/chopsuicideonline
10) Have you been to check out any cool (or really bad) horror movies lately?
Danyell: I recently found out what a horror movie freak Staci is! He lent me Saw II and House of 1000 Corpses and now I think I'll have to watch his whole collection
Rat: Ah yes, of course, my fellow b-movie lover. I almost forgot.
Yeah, I have seen a lot of fucked up flicks since the last time we talked.
I like the Saw movies. The second being my favorite.
Planet Terror is great!
Dead and Breakfast. That was a really cool (or really bad) one. You gotta see that one.
Also, Strangeland is awesome. Dee Snider is the villain. He plays one of the best bad guys ever! That one took me by surprise. Ya gotta see that one too
By Rob Lane