Watching out for the people

Vol. I No. 9 Friday, March 24, 2006 20 Questions for the Monster Women Getting liquored up proves insightful Artistic License By Michael Tern I was hanging out at the coffee shop the other day and I was contemplating what questions I should actually ask the Monster Women. This sick garage band has Courtney on lead vocals and guitar, Amy with percussion, and Gary on keys….Its simple, its hot and easy to dance too. This band will make you want to groove! So, I wrote down 20 questions for the monster Woman and called down to the other coffee shop and ask for Courtney, made tentative plans to interview The Monster Women after a rehearsal. So, I showed up with an idea to record them on a tape player, but unfortunately I didn’t have one nor did the venue to where I was conducting this interview. Enjoy, this interview, because I did! It was smooth, really cool… 1. When did the Monster Women begin? Amy: 2004? Courtney: No…Before that! Late 2003... Gary: Yeah man…That’s crazy.. Amy: That’s right, ok yeah. Late 2003. Michael: Wow, that’s awesome.… 2. What would you call your music? Courtney: ( after a pause, and gulp from some Chico beer) I’d say 60’s girl-group influenced, psychedelic-space garage rock….. Amy: Yeah that’s it … Gary: Hey, Mike do you know what I mean? Space-garage rock! Michael: Sick yeah….That’s sick.. 3. What inspires your music? Amy: David Bowie. Courtney: Ladytron. Gary: The B-52’s. Amy: Sonic Youth. Courtney: Pixies. Michael: Awesome, I love those bands.. Courtney: Electra Lady… 4. Have The Monster Women been on tour? Courtney: We played in Chico with Barbara Manning’s. Gary: Yeah we played at this little hole called Middle of the Valley. A heavy metal Shithole. Michael: That so funny…I love holes. Amy: It was okay, but defiantly a hole. 5. What venues in Humboldt County do you like to play at? Courtney: The Vista….. Amy: The Vista! Gary: The Vista! Michael: Well, it’s out of action a these present days. Any other ideas? Courtney: The Alibi is cool. Amy: Okay, The Alibi. Gary: A-shack a wack dack. Michael: Cool! 6.I like the way you decorate your stage and stuff, what gave you that kind of idea? Gary: The balloons, the feather boas, all kinds of cool decorations were kind was my influence at first. For instance I was in a band called Los Calaveros, and we used to have lots of stage theatrics. I remember cooking bacon on stage at Bummerfest. It was nice…in fact the bacon tasted really good! Courtney: See what I mean, all the crazy decorating really was spawn of Gary’s. We have done stuff in all in pink before… Amy: I must agree with that, but Courtney and I do make our own stuff to perform in as well. Like clothes and such, but we have a history with being out of the ordinary… Michael: Interesting! 7. How do you feel about what is going on in the Rock and roll scene of the northwest? Courtney: Basically, the main stream underground rock and roll scene is coming from San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. Here in Humboldt County we can pretty much take on any scene north east and south of us. I guess in order for that to be fact you must visit here… Amy: Bring it on rockers! Gary: Argghh bring it! Michael: That is so funny! 8. Unfortunately, being a smoker like myself I had already asked this question…So I asked this once more….What types of music inspires the Monster Women? Courtney: Blondie. Amy: Exotica. Gary: Bridgette Bardeu . Michael: Awesome, Blondie rips! 9.Who would you like come play in Humboldt County? Gary: Free Kitten. Courtney: Sonic Youth. Amy: The Pixies. Courtney: Ladytron. Gary: The B-52’s! 10. How do you feel about public transportation in Humboldt County? Gary: I think a mono rail around the bay would be sick. Courtney: I wouldn’t rely on one, and I don’t. Amy: I can’t rely on one. Courtney: That’s biggest thing I think about public transportation. The reliability! Amy: Monorail, Monorail, Monorail! Courtney: Monorail, lets all chant it…Monorail! Michael: That’d be great. Monorail. 11. What’s your favorite food, and what restaurant can we maybe see you frequenting? Amy: Thai food. Courtney: Sushi. Gary: Rita’s or Samraat. Michael: Samraat! Indian food is good stuff. 12. Is everyone a original member of the band? Courtney: That right just us three monsters. Amy: Yup. Gary: I guess…Lets move on! Michael: Okay Gary… 13. Did you like the way the movie Rural Rock and Roll portrayed you? Amy: Yeah, it was nice. Gary: Except for my hair…I hated my hair. Courtney: They should have played more of The Great Salvation. Amy: Yeah I was bummed about not seeing enough of The Great Salvation. Gary: I fucking hated my hair. 14. Have you, or are you looking to get signed? Courtney: Looking, looking, looking. Amy: Would love to be on something independent. Gary: An independent label would be rad. 15. Does the Monster Women have a fan club or website? Amy: That funny question Mike? We have a myspace profile Michael: Awesome, that’s really neat. Courtney: Yeah, it’s www.Myspace.com/TheMonsterwoman Gary: We have music on there too for anyone who wants to listen to what we sound like. Michael: Cool! 16. I remember when I first saw y’all….What ever happened to that slide projector you used to run at your shows? Courtney: Where have you been Mike. You just haven’t been to any of our shows where we use it in a long time. Amy: Yeah, Mike. Gary: Come run it for us. Michael: Oh, sorry, that’s cool. 17. Would you ever consider having Monster Women action figures? Courtney: That’s really precarious you say that. The original idea for our band name came from these anima-action figures from Japan. Amy: Monster Woman Toys. Gary: Yeah, I think we may have some lying around…I always loved the character with lots of seaweed dangling from its body. I really get inspired from dangling seaweed… Courtney: Dangling seaweed rocks. I love that Japanese character. Michael: Good to know. 18. Have The Monster Women ever considered making a rock video? Amy: Yes, we have considered it. Courtney: We basically have one with the Rural Rock and Roll movie. Gary: I would love to have dangling seaweed come off of me in the video. Amy: If anyone out there wants to shoot us in a video or sign us on your independent label. Well, come find us on the web, or come to Eureka. 19. Do the Monster Women like crab? Gary: We love crab. That’s it, the crab man with dangling seaweed. Amy: It’s too bad that those poor fisherman out there have to work so hard this year. Courtney: I think we should get crab sometime soon guys. Amy: Sounds good, Gary: Can I wear dangling seaweed? 20. If you had to pick a monster, what Monster would you be in The Monster Women? Courtney: Medusa. Amy: Bride of Frankenstein. Gary: Creature from the Black Lagoon, the anatomically correct version, but really an abandoned Frankenstein. Michael: Are you sure? Gary: Yes, positive. So we ended the interview. I was tired and drunk so I feel asleep on their couch. I hope you enjoyed the Monster Women as much as I did!

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