Page 42 - Black Velvet Issue 89

BV89 pg40,41,42,43 The Dead Daisies_BV89 pg42 03/07/2016 20:41 Page 3

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were still able to write, record, mix and master tually came up with the title for ‘Long Way To now. After the Orlando nightclub shootings he
this record in five weeks. That’s impressive if I Go’. It was a total fluke, total accident. I was hav- wrote asking why we can’t come up with a
might blow smoke up our own arse! And it’s just ing difficulty finding that phrase or topic that I screening system ‘to alleviate assholes from
great hanging with these guys. I can’t stress that wanted to sing about, and David Lowy just said getting weapons of mass destruction and mur-
enough. They’re all nice guys, funny… this is to me, “We’ve got a long way to go and no time der?’ He says, “It’s easy for me as a musician. I
definitely one of the strangest bands that I’ve to get there,” and it was just this passing little travel and it’s easy for me to make a judgement
ever been in! statement and all of a sudden the light bulb went on something or it’s just easy for me to have an
John tells us that, music aside, he admires off so I went back into the room and started writ- opinion on something. I do realize for some of
his bandmates personally too. “I do admire all of ing lyrics. I had some ideas and then I brought these politicians it’s much more difficult than just
the guys, how they are with their families and them to Marti and he helped me tweak every- implementing something or just doing it. It’s got
with their kids and how they are with fans. Just thing.” to be weighed out, it’s got to be measured. Their
meeting people. Marco is hilarious. If you know ideas have to please everybody so it’s a very dif-
Marco, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking he song ‘Long Way To Go’ actually ficult world that we live in. But I have seen things
about. Marco can literally walk into a room full Ttouches on what’s going on in the world on a personal level of humanity that I didn’t care
of strangers and before he leaves the room, he at the moment. John says his lyrics are “just my for. I just always found it sad. When I was grow-
will make every one of those people feel like observations of the things that we’re being bom- ing up, when I was younger, I lived in a section
they’re old pals. By the time he leaves the room, barded with on a daily basis on any of the news of Philadelphia where I grew up, it was pretty
he’s usually got three or four phone numbers off channels. Obviously, last year, when we did hardcore, a tough neighbourhood, the majority
people, he’s like “Oh yeah, I was talking to that ‘Revolución’ we were on tour and doing some Irish Catholic. It was weird. I remember one day,
girl, she does this for a living, that guy does this”, shows and that horrible tragedy happened in four white kids pummelling this black kid and try-
he’s just so good with people. In crowds, I tend Paris. And this year too, unfortunately, we had ing to take his bike. Pardon my French, but I’m
to get a little bit quiet, uncomfortable, introspec- that tragedy in Orlando, and it’s just crazy to me. like, “What the fuck are you guys doing? This is
tive or whatever. I just admire the fact that Marco These are my observations and I’m just stating insane”. “He’s in our neighbourhood”. And I’m
can go in there, dazzle everybody, charm the a case. We need, for lack of a better term, to get like, “He’s going home. Fuck off. Leave him
pants off everybody. But all the guys are like our shit together. And we need to do it fast, be- alone,” so I bring the kid into my house with his
that. I think David Lowy is probably the quietest cause… I don’t know… I’m hoping it can rectify bike and then we call someone from his family
of all of us.” itself, but I just think that we’re spiraling out of and have him come and get him, and it’s just
John writes most of the lyrics on the album control at this point.” stupid to me. I just don’t understand that thing.
but says his bandmates offer their support if he In ‘Long Way To Go’ he sings of ‘just more It takes so much energy to be mean. I don’t
ever needs it. He says, “Once we get a song suffering’. He tells us that he’s seen suffering know, I just don’t understand humanity some-
mapped out and I kind of have a melody that I with his own eyes during his years of touring. times.”
would like to use, they’re usually very supportive “I’ve been to India. India, it was very hard to We mention how we’re going through some-
and will say, “Hey Crab, if you’re having any swallow because there was unbelievable beauty thing similar at the moment in the UK after the
trouble with lyrics, buddy, just let me know. I’m there at the same time as unbelievable poverty, EU Referendum with some people thinking they
not a lyric guy but I’ll help if you need any help.” and from where I was sitting, I just didn’t see any can be nasty to others. A video was recently
But for the most part, I just go off into a room middle ground,” he says. “I didn’t see any middle shared on social media of a guy shouting at
and I’ll listen to the songs over and over and class – you were either really, really wealthy and someone on a bus, “Go back to your own coun-
over again and they just kind of leave me be and well off or you were just stupidly poor… beyond try”.
they let me do what I do and I’ll bring the song poor that you and I would even fathom. I was John replies, “Everything everywhere is es-
in, let them hear the lyrics that I have and then I like, “Wow, I don’t know if I love this place or dis- calating. I just see things… they’re starting to
sing it and then everybody goes thumbs up or like this place”. It was weird. I was seeing just come to a boiling point. Here in America, we’ve
they’re not sure, or whatever, but they kind of such odd things.” got our Republicans and our Democrats, who for
tend to leave me do what I do. I know that I can the life of me will never be able to figure anything
lean on them if I need them; if I need a phrase ohn is very concerned with what’s going out. Obama could come up with a cure for can-
or a word or a concept or idea. David Lowy ac- Jon in America and the whole world right cer right now and our parties are so separated

THE DEAD DAISIES