Acid
Cannibals is an incendiary duo from Glasgow, playing fast-paced punk
rock in it's the best shape, with powerful riffs and heavy
drums. Acid Cannibals are James Dead ( guitar, vocals ) and
Robert Marley ( drums), members of Cosmic Dead, Droves, Public
Service, Old Guard and their own words synthesize the whole
attitude “We started Acid Cannibals to focus on a positive mental
attitude rather than allow us to be eaten by the negativity of the
world around us.”
A
couple of weeks ago presented us with their show in Lisbon were they
brought to us for the first time the songs of theyr second EP Horny
For Tomorrow ( Hominid Sounds) wich followed their debut 7’’ Why
Not Every Night (At War With False Noise). I couldn't miss the chance
of getting to know a bit more of these two.
If
you have the chance to attend one of their shows don't miss it! It's
a party, it's punk, it's rock and it's love, all together on one
stage, a guittar, a drum and two guys having the time of their lives,
putting on an unforgettable show filled with good, honest energy.
Songs
to Nowhere - You both have other musical projects, how did you came
together and made Acid Cannibals?
James
Dead - We came together quite beautifully. It was all
whirlwind, heat and flash, we grabbed a case of Black Wine and hit
the road. That's how I remember it. But it's quite possible that
another version of the truth exists. No memory can be fairly
associated with the same insinuations that come with any traditional
interpretations of the word 'truth'. But there is definitely a more
historically accurate account to be had. As Robert Marley, in person.
He has a the Key.
Songs
to Nowhere - Why not Every Night and Horny for Tomorrow were released
last year, and we read you're next album will be out this
summer. Can we expect to listen some new stuff on tomorrow's show?
James
Dead - We are integrating some very particular selections
from the upcoming album on some of our live setlists. Some of the
songs are far too FIRE to be unleashed until the album has arrived on
store shelves though. Why are we shielding the unsuspecting public
from music that may well have the power to prevent the complete
collapse of civilisation? That's quite a simple question but as is so
often the case; there are no simple answers.
Acid Cannibals @ Music Box, Lisbon
Songs
to Nowhere - How did you got acquainted with your current label?
James
Dead - On the level we operate on in the underground, bands
like ourselves don't tend to be attached to any one label. You create
music as often as possible and play / organise as many fun shows and
party vibes as time will allow for and either a label will email you
after hearing about what you do via word of mouth or through seeing a
show themselves, or the band emails the labels and asks if they would
like to work with them. Most of the time, the stars fail to align and
albums don't make it into the public eye until the band members can
save enough money from their slave-wage jobs to fund it themselves.
This can take years and often by the time you have all the required
boxes ticked and have all the packaging, discs, boxes of sleeves, PR
etc together... the music you created all that time ago no longer
feels as relevant to how you perceive the world, or even an accurate
representation of who you as an individual or as a band.
How
were we acquainted with Hominid Sound? They emailed me and said 'FUCK
YES LET'S RECORD AND RELEASE IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! LET'S DO IT! LIF
IS SHORT! LET'S DO IT FAST!!' and of course, we were 100% on board
with that. The bands involved on the label's roster feel like family
to us and we're constantly in absolute awe of the quality of their
releases.
Why Not Every Night and Horny For Tomorrow
Previous
to this, for our debut release we collaborated with At War with False
Noise, who are arguably scotland's (the uk's... europe's?) greatst
and most uncompromising metal/punk label. You need to go check them
out. They should be the busiest label around because everything they
release is incredible and sells very quick. It's all done from a deep
love for both the sort of humans who usually make this kind of music
(marginalised, generally unhinged and entirely unique individuals)
and the beauty of the physical format. Al Mabon (label owner) is a
hero. He used to organise and host these all day shows, these jam
packed sweatfests in a dank basement venue in glasgow called 'Glasgow
Implodes' and the fests were always at the end of april, which is
near my birthday! So we'd all go and have mind expanding, body
wrecking experiences watching legends like Gruel, Bong, Stuntcock,
Seppuku, Atomized, Kylie Minoise, Black Sun, Noma, Cromar,
Barbarians, Usurper, Muscletusk, Vomir, Fordell Research Unit,
Culver, Vom ... the list goes on and frankly who has the time to list
AND check out every band who passed through the catacombs of
glasgow's noisy underground? The point is, AT WAR WITH FALSE NOISE
were and are making things happen. REAL things. A lot of folks have a
firm grasp of what it is to create hot air with their mouths. People
are prone to overthinking and when we overthink, it's too easy to dig
yrself into an earthen hole. That's fine, we've all been there and
i'm as guilty as anyone. Digging downwards and planting yr heels into
the Earth's cooling, comforting flesh isn't easy and everyone enjoys
a challenge, but it' a dangerous place to be. You stand there,
crammed into yr hole and the flesh of the earth is porous, it's
malleable and unless you close your mouth and starts using your hands
and feet to shape the ground around you then water is going to seep
in and drowning is amongst the worst of what can happen. Talk is
a-okay and passes the time just fine, but it's the physical motions
we create that shapes the structures that we can reach out and touch.
Both AT WAR WITH FALSE NOISE and HOMINID SOUNDS are shaping the
ground around them and the people prone to travel are carrying
stories of their good experiences with these labels and the people
behind them. It's life-giving to be part of.
Acid Cannibals @ Music Box, Lisbon
Songs
to Nowhere - What led you into music? Did you studied music or
was it something that happened by accident?
James
Dead - My parents led me to music. My parents and the
radio. And tapes. The empty chasm inside my chest that only feels
full when there are sounds to focus on is what led me to music. There
aren't many choices when you are a tiny wee child and you are made to
feel strange, ridiculous, unwanted and fundamentally broken by other
children. It wasn't just the fault of other children though, i'm sure
there was something going on in my brain. Nothing made sense and
nothing operated in my hands the way it would for others. I would
hold something and it would break quite inexplicably, i would walk
through a room and paintings would fall down, i would try to eat
cereal and the bowl would spill everywhere and i'm sure i must have
been doing something to get this unexpected result, but it wasn't
clear to me and it still isn't. When this is your experience, you
gravitate towards something to help make sense of the world and for
me, i was lucky enough to live in a loving household with music in
the air always. My parents would sing and dance and play records and
the radio constantly. I was shocked when an ex partner of mine told
me that their household was silent when they were growing up. I can't
imagine this. I would have taken a belt and hung myself by the neck
already if it wasn't for music helping to clear the smog.
Songs
to Nowhere - What are your major cultural references?
James
Dead - Major? Formative? Hmmm. That's never easy to answer,
but my major cultural reference points are 100% including but are not
exclusive to; Grease, Motorhead, Queen, The Staple Singers, Hamish
Imlach, Dougie MacLean, Townes Van Zandt, Motorhead, Hawkwind, Abba,
Discharge (both classic eras, ow!) , High Rise, LSD March, Lungish,
Daniel Higgs, Fushitsusha, Ramleh, Can, Neu!, Amon Duul ii, Canned
Heat, The Grateful Dead, 90's Europop (some 80's and early 2000's
also) , It's Raining Men by the Weather Girls, Rodney Dangerfield and
Mitch Hedberg live footage and audio recordings, Bill&Ted,
Wayne's World (and all late eighties / early to mid-ish 90's Saturday
Night Live associated acts), The Blues Brothers, Willow (if anyone
can get me a dinner date with Warwick Davis, i'll sort you out with
some free merch!), The song 'Angel Witch' by the band 'Angel Witch'
from the album 'Angel Witch', 'Push Up' by Freestylers, various works
by the Village People, Joanna Newsom, The Moomins, the early works of
the Big Yin himself BILLY CONNOLLY, Melvins, Zeke, the cartoon antics
of Eastern Europe's Favourite Cat and Mouse team, Worker &
Parasite! Huffing nos cans, the song 'The Wizard and the 7 Swine' by
the phenomenal PIGSPIGSPIGSPIGSPIGSPIGSPIGS and y'know, the wise
words of Kurt Vonnegut who has the best advise contained within his
writing; 'Damn it, you've got to be kind.' - That's all i can grasp
right now.
PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS - The Wizard And The Seven Swines - Split '12 with the Cosmic Dead
Songs
to Nowhere - How do you develope your songs?
James
Dead - "Hey Robert Marley, does this sound like
music we could party to?"
Rab
- "Yeah let's play that a lot"
Songs
to Nowhere - What bands influenced you more?
James
Dead - Bratakus.
Rab
- Brain Anguish.
Songs
to Nowhere - How would you describe your local music scene and
your role on it?
Rab
: In Glasgow there are lots of great people both in bands and
involved with the scene, it's an ever growing place both in
population and the forward movement of ideas and ideals. As a band we
obviously play Glasgow and will keep doing regularly but it's a great
place to explore other things... we both organise gigs in different
venues with different sounding bands to different crowds and it's a
pretty fortunate position to be in to satisfy your interest with
whatever takes your pleasure. Even if not music there's a lot of
stuff to be involved with, that's a massive part of what you put into
your music. It's all cool thinking where you're from is a stink hole
but I think we are lucky to be making music and involved in the
Glasgow scene.
Acid Cannibals @ Music Box, Lisbon
Songs
to Nowhere - To tour is not that a new thing for you, but can
you disclose any weird or funny situation that happened to you?
James
Dead - This one time not long ago we arrived in town
via train to be picked up by the lovely promoters for the venue and
we were still drunk from the night before. We'd got some brilliant
vegan doughnuts at the train station and a bunch of beers got drank
and to be honest, we had no idea of the hangover and dehydration that
was going to set in some time after soundcheck. We were rolling
around on the floor and getting absoluyel shwifty
Songs
to Nowhere - What are your long term expectancies for Acid
Cannibals?
Rab
- I don't really have specific expectations but what I want
from doing this band (any project really) is to play gigs I enjoy,
meet new people, see new places and be happy with what we put out.
James
Dead - To continue promoting good vibes and ethical veganism
in our own special way feels like our mission.
Rab - Its an EP from me and it's Shuck- Wunder EP. Shuck are really new but already are like the tightest band, it's friends of our who we have known thru previous bands doing something a bit different. It feels like heavy sing along tunes. Or Rhot! They are pure industrial hard-core, played with them a couple of weeks ago a couple of times and thought they were amazing both times.
Songs
to Nowhere - What can we expect on your shows and what we should
not expect?
Rab
- Fun hopefully, probably lots of my sweat, black wine.
Don't expect bad vibes, beefy vibes or bad behaviour.
James
Dead - We all love to smile. Let's smile about nice
things.
More
Info