BIKINI KILL

billy karren interviewed by bob bert from bb gun issue 1

BB : HI, BILLY. CAN I INTERVIEW YOU FOR MY MAG?

BK : SURE, HOP IN THE VAN.

BB : I WANT TO INTERVIEW TOBI BECAUSE I;M A HUGE FAN OF HER DRUMMING.

BK : WOW.

BB : BUT I DON'T KNOW...I"M TOO SHY TO APPROACH THE OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR BAND.

BK : I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT.

BB : YOUR BAND HAVE QUITE AN ATTITUDE THING HAPPENING.

BK : WELL, WE ARE KINDA SELF-CONSCIOUS BECAUSE IT'S CBGB'S.

BB : DOES BIKINI KILL DRAW THIS MANY PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY?

BK : IT SEEMS LIKE WE DRAW AS MANY PEOPLE AS THERE ARE IN THE SCENE. WE PLAYED A BUNCHA SMALL TOWNS ON THIS TOUR...LIKE MONTANA AND DAKOTA....IF LIKE 40 KIDS SHOWED UP, IT WAS EVERYONE IN THAT SCENE.

BK : HOW LONG HAS THE BAND BEEN TOGETHER AT THIS POINT?

BB : I GUESS ABOUT 4 YEARS. WE GOT TOGETHER IN 1991.

BK : WAS IT FORMED IN OLYMPIA?

BK : YEAH.

BB : DID EVERYONE GROW UP THERE?

BK : TOBI GREW UP THERE. KATHI AND KATHLEEN ARE FROM OREGON AND I'M FROM OREGON, TOO.

BB: DID YOU KNOW THEM FROM OREGON?

BK : I WAS IN A BAND WITH TOBI CALLED THE GO TEAM...WE ACTUALLY PLAYED THE CBGB CANTEEN IN '89.

BB: DOES THE GO TEAM HAVE RECORDS OUT?

BK : WE PUT OUT 7 SINGLES AND 3 TAPES AND WE DID 2 TOURS AND CALVIN WAS IN IT. I WAS REALLY INTO THE K RECORDS, EARLY ON, WHICH IS HOW I MET EVERYONE IN OLYMPIA.

BB : WHAT IS OLYMPIA LIKE? I'VE NEVER BEEN THERE.

BK : IT IS A SMALL TOWN WITH A LOT OF BANDS LIVING THERE.

BB : DOES BIKINI KILL STILL PUT OUT FANZINES?

BK : YEP. WE PUT OUT LITTLE INDIVIDUAL ONES. KATHLEEN PUTS OUT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ONES. SHE PUT OUT ONE ABOUT EVAN DANDO LAST YEAR....THAT'S REALLY COOL. TOBI PUTS ONE OUT CALLED JIG SAW. IT'S PRETTY FASCINATING.

BB: DO THEY SEND THEM THROUGH THE MAIL? I'VE NEVER NOTICED THEM IN STORES AROUND HERE.

BK : WE SELL THEM ON TOUR OR JUST GIVE THEM AWAY TO THE KIDS.

BB : GOT ANY?

BK : WE DIDN'T BRING ANY ON THIS TOUR.

BB: DO YOU GUYS HAVE SOME NEW STUFF RECORDED?

BK : NO. WE'RE GONNA TRY TO CENTER ON SINGLES. MOST OF OUR RECORDS WERE RECORDED IN ONE DAY, SO WE WANT TO TRY TO HAVE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF DAYS. DO YOU HAVE THE HUGGY BEAR SPLIT?

BB: YES.

BB : WE RECORDED THAT FOR $15 BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY. OUR FRIEND HAD A 4 TRACK AND WE DID IT ON THAT.

BB : HOW DID YOU HOOK UP WITH JOAN JETT?

BK : JOAN WENT TO SOME OF OUR SHOWS....I"M A REALLY BIG GERMS FAN AND WE LOVED HER PRODUCTION ON THE G.I. ALBUM, SO WE ASKED HER IF SHE WANTED TO PRODUCE OUR BAND. WE NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD HAPPEN! SHE DID CIRCUS LUPUS FROM DC AND A YEAR LATER SHE CALLED UP AND SAID SHE WAS GOING TO BE IN SEATTLE. AT THE TIME WE BOOKED SOME TIME IN A STUDIO AND WE RECORDED THE 3 SONGS ON THE SINGLE IN 7 HOURS!

BB : WAS THIS BEFORE OR AFTER PUSSY-WHIPPED?

BK : I THINK IT WAS AFTER. I AM NOT SURE IF THE RECORD WAS RELEASED. THAT ALBUM WAS DONE REALLY QUICKLY, TOO...OUR RECORDS ARE LIKE DOCUMENTS.

BB : THAT'S THE WAY SOME OF THE PUSSY GALORE STUFF WAS RECORDED, WHICH IS WAY COOL 'CAUSE IF YOU SELL A DECENT AMOUNT THERE WILL BE ENOUGH OF A PROFIT TO RECORD THE NEXT RECORD.

BK : IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OF THE LATER PUSSY GALORE RECORDS WERE BIGGER PRODUCTIONS. LIKE DIAL M WAS QUADRAPHONIC.

BB: YEAH THAT ONE COST LIKE 18 THOUSAND, WHICH ISN'T MUCH BY TODAY'S STANDARDS, BUT FOR US IT WAS A FORTUNE. IT WAS ALSO A WEIRD TIME FOR THE BAND BECAUSE JULIE SPLIT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT AND HALF OF IT WAS DONE IN LONDON.

BK : THAT RECORD RIGHT NOW! WAS A WILD, WILD RECORD!

BB : I WISH IT WAS IN PRINT.

BK : YEAH. THAT'S A HARD ONE TO FIND...I HARDLY EVER SEE IT.

BB : SO BIKINI KILL HAS LOTS OF MAJORS SNIFFING AROUND?

BK : FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

BK : YEP. WE WANDERED THROUGH THE CORPORATE ZONE LAST WINTER AND WE DECIDED TO STAY INDEPENDENT.

BB : YOU DON'T SEEM TO BELIEVE IN MERCHANDISING IT SEEMS, LIKE T-SHIRTS.

BK : NO. WE DO SELL T-SHIRTS. WE JUST SOLD OUT OF THEM. I AM NOT AGAINST CORPORATE RECORDS, I JUST THINK ALL THE KIDS SHOULD OWN IT. WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN IS ALL THE PUNKS SHOULD TAKE OVER WARNER BROS. AND SEIZE THE HALLWAYS AND OFFICE BUILDINGS (ROCK N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL !!! - ED.) AND SEIZE CAPITOL AND THE PEOPLE OF NYC SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN VERSION OF THE NEW YORK TIMES ! I THINK WE SHOULD STORM THE STUDIOS AND HALLWAYS OF MTV AND TAKE IT OVER !!!!!!

BB : HAS BIKINI KILL EVER MADE A VIDEO?

BK : WE MAKE FILMS.

BB: FILMS OF SONGS.

BK : FILMS ON TOUR. KATHLEEN JUST GOT DONE DOING A FILM BUT I REALLY DON'T KNOW TOO MUCH INFO ABOUT THAT...KATHI MAKES FILMS THAT ARE REALLY INTERESTING, BASICALLY, WE WANT TO VANDALIZE ROCK AND ROLL !

BB : HOW DOES BIKINI KILL WRITE SONGS?

BK: IT'S LIKE AN INTUITIVE THING. WE SWITCH INSTRUMENTS SOMETIMES....I'D LIKE TO DO THAT MORE BUT WE NEVER REALLY HAVE THE TIME.

BB : THE BAND LIVED IN DC FOR AWHILE?

BK : WE'VE BEEN LIVING THERE ON AND OFF FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. KATHI AND I LIVED THERE LAST WINTER....WE HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THERE. WE DID A COUPLE OF TOURS WITH NATION OF ULYSSES.

BB : YOU ARE ALSO FRIENDS WITH SLANT 6?

BK : WE PLAYED WITH SLANT 6 THE OTHER NIGHT IN DC AND THEY WERE INCREDIBLE.

BB : YEAH, I HEARD THAT WAS A PRETTY AMAZING SHOW.

BK : THEIR NEW SONGS ARE HOT. I LOVE SLANT 6. THEIR ALBUM IS REALLY TERRIFIC .

BB: DOES THE BAND STILL BOOK ITS OWN TOURS?

BK : WE TRY NOT TO RELY ON BOOKING AGENTS BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO SCREW UP. IT'S EASIER TO DO IT YOURSELF. DID YOU EVER SEE THE GORIES?

BB: THEY'RE COOL.

(AT THIS POINT 2 YOUNG GIRLS, AGES 14 OR 15, APPROACH THE WINDOW ON BILLY'S SIDE OF THE VAN.)

FIRST GRRL : HEY, ARE YOU IN THE FIRST BAND ?????

BK : NO.

FIRST GRRLL : WHO ARE YOU WITH?

BK : BIKINI KILL.

FIRST GRRL : OH, MY GOD, YOU HAVE TO HELP US !

BK : ABOUT WHAT?

FIRST GRRL : WE DON'T HAVE ID ! WE CAN'T GET INTO SEE BIKINI KILL !!! BIKINI KILL IS OUR FAVORITE BAND, MAN!!!

BK : WE'RE PLAYING IN BROOKLYN TOMORROW.

FIRST GRRLL : YOU HAVE NO GODDAMN IDEA HOW MUCH THIS MEANS TO US ! PLEASE OH PLEASE !!

BK : OK, JUST LET ME FINISH THE INTERVIEW AND WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT. I DON'T KNOW....CBGB'S IS LIKE BREAKING DOWN THE BERLIN WALL...

FIRST GRRL : SAY YOU ARE MY BROTHER! WE LOVE YOU.

SECOND GRRL : SHE WORSHIPS KATHLEEN HANNA . SHE' GONNA COME ALL OVER HER!

FIRST GRRL : NO! NO ! SHUDDUP! THAT'S A JOKE !!!

BK : YOU GIRLS ARE ON A RAMPAGE!

FIRST GRRLL: I THINK I'M GONNA KILL MYSELF.

BK : DON'T DO THAT

FIRST GRLL : I WANT A GUN.

SECOND GRRL : SHE'S SERIOUS. SHE'S GONNA KILL HERSELF.

BK ; WHERE ARE YOU GIRLS FROM, ANYWAY?

GRRLS : MANHATTAN, 50TH STREET.

BK : WE'LL FIGGER IT OUT. WE MUST TAKE CARE OF THE KIDS !.

FIRST GRRL : I HAVE TO GET IN BEFORE 11 O'CLOCK OR MY MOM'S GONNA COME HERE AND MAKE ME GO HOME !

BK : CRAZY PUNK ROCK KIDS!

BB: WHAT'S IT LIKE BEING THE ONLY GUY IN THE BAND?

BK : I COULD BE IN A GRUNGE BAND WITH A BUNCHA GUYS, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE THAT INTERESTING . IT'S LIKE PUSSY GALORE....YOU DIDN'T PLAY TRADITIONAL ROCK N ROLL, 'CAUSE ROCK N ROLL ISN'T THAT INTERESTING ANYMORE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CONCEPT. I WOULD RATHER BE IN SOMETHING SOMEWHAT PROVOCATIVE ....THAN A HOMOGENIZED GROUP OF NOTHING. HERE COMES MY FRIEND ERIN FROM BRATMOBILE AND HER BROTHER DON.

BB : HE, ERIN. NICE TO MEET YOU...I'VE MET YOUR BROTHER BEFORE.

BK : HERE COMES A FAN FROM HAWAII. HE'S COOL. I HAVE TO GET HIM IN, TOO. HIS PICTURE IS ON OUR RECORD. HI! YOU GOT A HAIRCUT! LOOKIN' GOOD!

HAWAIIAN PAL: YEAH, I CUT A LOTTA SHIT OUT OF MY LIFE.

BK : IS THAT WHY YOU LEFT HAWAII?

HAWAIIAN PAL: I DID A COUPLE OF GIGS WITH RICHIE HAVENS.

BK : NO WAY.

HAWAIIAN PAL : THIS IS A BIG DIFFERENCE, DUDE, THERE'S A LINE AROUND THE BLOCK.

BK : YEAH, WE ROCKED THE ISLAND AND NOW WE ARE ROCKIN MANHATTAN!

BB : HERE COMES THURSTON MOORE.

BK: THURSTON'S WALKING DOWN THE STREET. THURSTON HEARTS THE WHO AND NOW THE WHO ARE BIGGER THAN EVER. HAVE YOU SEEN TOMMY,THE BROADWAY MUSICAL?

BB : YEAH.

BK : YOU SAW IT? IS IT THE SPECTACLE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE?

BB : YEAH, AND I'M NOT A WHO FAN.

BK : I'M A HUGE WHO FAN. THE WHO ARE UNBELIEVABLE. IT'S TOTALLY RIDICULOUS. HAVE YOU PLAYED THE TOMMY PINBALL MACHINE?

BB : GREAT, HUH.

BK : IT'S REALLY GREAT. I MEAN I'M REALLY AGAINST THE FACT THAT PINBALL MACHINES ARE 50 CENTS, BUT THAT ONE IS WORTH IT BECAUSE YOU GOT THE COMPUTERIZED TOMMY MUSIC AND EVERYTHING ! NOW THE GRRLS ARE TALKING TO THURSTON AND ARE TRYING THEIR TACTICS OF GETTING IN TO THE SHOW.

BB : AND HE'S PROBABLY GONNA HELP THEM.

BK : WE'LL GET THEM IN BECAUSE WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE KIDS . THAT''S WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT. DID YOU EVER SEE SUICIDE?

BB: LOTS, BILLY.

BK : DID YOU EVER SEE THE SILVER APPLES ?

BB : NOPE.

(AT THIS POINT IN THE INTERVIEW (PHEW!) DORIEN AND TOM APPROACH MY WINDOW...)

BB: HEY.

DORIEN: HI. OH, YOU'RE TAPING THIS ! SHOULD I TALK MORE ABOUT MY PATHETIC LIFE?

BK : IT CAN'T BE THAT BAD.

BB : IT CAN'T BE AS BAD AS THESE TWO GIRLS THAT ARE HEADING THIS WAY. NOW THEY ARE HEADIN' FOR ERIN FROM BRATMOBILE.

DORIEN : WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT?

BK: THE WHO'S BROADWAY MUSICAL TOMMY.

BB : YOU KNOW THURSTON HUMPS THE WHO?

BK : HEARTS !!!!

DORIEN : THAT'S NOT VERY NICE. HE'S RIGHT OVER THERE.

BB: I KNOW. I WAS HOPING THAT HE'D HEAR ME !

BK : IT'S JUST A JOKE.