The Red Plastic Buddha - Interview by Jan (editor)
(Tim Ferguson)
Chicago, Illinois
05/12/2008
01) Did you come from a musical family and background?
No, I’m the freak in the family. I understand that the mailman was musical though.
02) At what age did you first take up interest in becoming a musician and how did you get started?
I came to music late, and it was because of a broken heart. I was 29, and got dumped hard. I took it really bad and I kind of got on that weird spiral thinking. I kind of lost my mind for a while and made myself sick. At one point I had this really high fever and could barely breathe. Something told me that if I got better I should buy a bass guitar and things would work out. I was playing in a band a month later and I finally found the place I belong.
I don’t know if I believe in guardian angels, but I can say that there was something that saved me that night. And everything good that has happened in my life since then happened because of music.
03) Starting out what one musician or band most inspired you? And why?
Syd Barrett. He was a very unique individual and had a very unusual way of approaching music and self-expression. His lyric writing took the best of Ray Davies’ essential Englishness, and added equal parts of innocence and madness. I’ve always found his persona and sense of style very compelling. I think Arthur Lee would run a close second though. I guess I’ve always identified with the freaks and odd balls. Imagine that.
04) When you elected to become a psychedelic artist, what exactly was your idea of the true meaning of the term psychedelic music? And what particular aspect of it would you say inspired you?
I don’t think it’s ever a conscious decision. A tiger is a tiger. A parakeet is a parakeet. I’m a psychedelic musician. For me, music is about freedom and it’s the ultimate act of self-expression. I’m not holding anything back or pretending in any way. This is just me being as open and honest as I can be. I’m using music to understand the world and where I fit. As for the rest of it, I’m just following a style that appeals to my sensibilities.
05) How long has The Red Plastic Buddha been together as a band?
I just realized that we’ve been The Red Plastic Buddha since 2005. We played the International Pop Overthrow that year as our first public show. That night seems like a million years ago now, with all the changes we’ve been through. Since adding Tom Valenzano (guitar, backing vocals) and Pamela Richardson (backing vocals) in recent months, I feel like we’re just getting started.
06) What type of venues has the Red Plastic Buddha performed at?
We’ve played the club circuit in Chicago. Loft parties. We played a gallery opening for some people who had done these bizarre electric sculptures. That was a lot of fun, and most of the people there were just obliterated. Needless to say, we were very well received by the heads. We’ve got a couple festivals coming up, including the Michigan Peace Fest in August. We’ve recently had a song placed on Road Trip Nation and we’re also doing a televised kids dance show later this year called Chic-a-go-go. How fun does that sound?
Quite an odd mix, I should think. I’d like to do music for film or some other sort of mixed media thing, but opportunities come when they come. I was planning on getting us on the road more this summer, but things came up.
07) Over recent years the good old "rock n roll" seems to have taken a back burner and has somewhat faded out to quite a degree, while club owners and other venues have shifted towards booking disco, trance, techno, hip hop and other forms of music in attempt to suit the younger teens and club age generation. However, as a lot of these genres are likewise beginning to fade out and lose the public interest, psychedelic music is making a strong comeback. Do you feel the club owners and venues have anticipated this revival and are opening their doors to it or are they still being bed ridden with the Saturday night fever?
I haven’t felt any discrimination against psychedelia in Chicago. I’ve heard that it’s an issue in smaller markets, but I haven’t felt it here. One of the advantages of living in a large city, I suppose. Of course, there are never enough stages to accommodate all the various bands on a given night, but that the other side of it.
I do think that psychedelia is experiencing a renaissance though. The world is really screwed up, in large part because of the actions of human beings. I think that people are waking up to that fact and a new consciousness seems to be coming on line. Psychedelia is very spiritual, very much a music for open (and for opening) minds. There are a lot of similarities between now and the 1960s when you think about it. I think the return of psychedelia has more to do with the need for change than anything else.
08) Do you feel that a lot of the public in lack of understanding in the meaning of psychedelic music, is still being indifferent and guilty of stereo-typing psychedelic music in comparison to the early 60's -70's images of the drug and acid phase?
There’s probably some of that. You say the word ‘psychedelic’ to most people and the first thing they think of is drugs. I think though, that there are a lot of positive things that are implied as well. The 60s may have ended badly, but the idea of young people inspired and working together to change the world for the better has a certain cache. Because of that and a certain innocence of the genre, I think that there’s a romanticism surrounding psychedelia.
09) If The Red Plastic Buddha was to book a world wide tour in attempt to deliver a message to the largely indifferent public in regards to psychedelic music… what would that message say?
I think we’re a pretty good band, but I don’t know if we’re up to being the spokesmen for psychedelic music. That’s too much responsibility. We know who our audience is and we play for them. If some people don’t like us, we couldn’t care less. If anyone were open to receiving a message from me, it would be: loosen up, have fun, open your mind, be kind to other people, face your fears, educate yourself, be honest, seek understanding. And buy our CD!
10) If The Red Plastic Buddha has any weak areas or faults with room for improvements in performance abilities, what are they?
We’ve addressed a lot of our weaknesses over the years, but we can always improve as musicians. I should really practice my bass playing more. We could do with some new gear. I would like to be able to do more with lighting and film effects for our live shows, but that costs a lot of money and adds an additional layer of complication to playing live.
We’ve got really good chemistry and the creativity and communications are good. With two new members, I think that we still have things we’re learning about each other and the things we can do as individuals and as a group. No problems really that time and playing won’t solve.
11) Does The Red Plastic Buddha have any set goals for recording and touring in 2008?
We’ll play public shows and festivals as they come up and as our schedules permit. I’m far more concerned about getting back in the studio to record the follow up to Sunflower Sessions. About half of the songs are studio-ready right now, but some of the others still need work. Overall, I think it’s going to be a very strong follow-up. Once the second CD is completed, that’s when I’ll be more concerned with our touring and reaching a wider audience.
12) Have you played in any other bands past or present?
Yeah, I’ve been playing for about sixteen years now. The Red Plastic Buddha is (I think) my seventh band. I played in The Me Decade and Hop on Pop on our current label (Spade Kitty). I also produced and arranged the first Pralines record and played bass on one song. Todd and Dav were in Sub Rosa with me in the 90s. Matt has played in nearly every band on the label. Tom led Loomis. Pam was in The Me Decade with me and currently fronts The Pralines (and just put out a solo CD on Steady Boy Records). We all stay quite busy.
The Red Plastic Buddha is my first experience in leading a band though. I’m having a lot of fun with the responsibility.
13) If The Red Plastic Buddha could choose to open for one other favorite band, who would that be?
There are a lot of bands I like and admire, so it’s tough to name just one. I’m looking forward to playing with Sky Saxon this summer at the Michigan Peace Fest, so I guess I can tick that one off the list. Although there are a lot of contemporaries (Brian Jonestown Massacre, Warlocks, Asteroid 4, Photon Band, Dead Meadow) that we may cross paths with, I’d probably go with someone like the Electric Prunes or Roky Erickson. It would be great to share the stage with someone I’ve listened to and admired since I was a kid.
14) What is the most embarrassing moment you have ever experienced while performing a live show?
Fortunately, I’m a horse’s ass and therefore very difficult to embarrass. At different times, I’ve unplugged myself (or one of the two guitarists) because I was hopping around on stage. I forget lyrics all the time (but I’m pretty good at covering – only our drummer Dav notices and laughs). I’ve fallen over.
If you take yourself too seriously, you’re going to get plenty of opportunity to embarrass yourself on stage. We’re not trying to out-cool our audience though, so it’s a fairly loose and fun-loving environment. Our audiences are part of the show.
15) Would you say the majority of other bands that you have been in contact with have been supportive towards The Red Plastic Buddha or more competitive and self-serving?
No, the bands we’ve worked with have been absolutely great. A lot of camaraderie and laughs. Some of our biggest fans are the musicians we’ve played with. I think that most people understand that we’re all in this together and so we pull for each other. There’s a competitive element to it, but it’s a friendly competition that makes us all better.
16) What has been the most favorable and complimentary review or media coverage The Red Plastic Buddha has received and by whom?
We’ve received some really nice press and there are reviews still coming in. Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune and Sound Opinions fame said ‘I’m really digging The Red Plastic Buddha’. That made my day. Keith Hannaleck of MuzikReviews. com has been extremely supportive, and there’s a really nice review on Foxy Digitalis. Lots of love online. We’ve been flattered by the great press and feedback we’ve received. I think that some of the print media are waiting to see what we do next before committing to us. I think that’s fair and it affords us a challenge to rise to.
17) If The Red Plastic Buddha were to be offered a major recording label and contract, would you accept?
It would really depend on the offer. Hell, in five years there might not BE a major label. I don’t know what our next step will be from a business standpoint, but I imagine we’re going to have to take on management at some point. It’s just getting too much for me to handle creative, promotion and booking as this thing grows.
18) Is The Red Plastic Buddha currently available for booking and touring? And if so, within what range and limits?
We’d love to come play for you, wherever you are on the planet. It’s just a matter of time and money. I don’t really see the mythical RPB world tour taking shape any time soon, but the Midwest is fairly easy. At some point we’ll venture outside our safe little world I suppose.
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