Mike and I stopped to get a bottle of whiskey on our way to see Hot Water Music at the Bottom of the Hill on Sunday afternoon. I was a little nervous about meeting who I consider the best band ever, but that vanished almost instantly. We walked into the back of the club and found George (drummer), Jason (bassist), and some friends sitting around a bloody marry lined table. Chris (vocals &guitar) joined us shortly after we started, while Chuck (vocals & guitar) answered our questions later that night. As we joined them I took a shot of whiskey while Mike plunged into the first questions.


YMM: How and when did Hot Water form?
George: It was 94 95, Chuck and I were in a band together, and Chris and Jason were in a band together and our singers flaked. We all met in Sarasota Florida, that’s where we’re from; [ Jason ] was going to school in Gainesville, FL and would come back in the summers and stuff. We just decided to move up to Gainesville and our singers flaked and that’s it, pretty much.
YMM: What was your favorite show, venue, party experience, etc... so far on the tour?
George: I liked L.A.
Jason: yeah L.A. is great.
YMM: Where did you guys play there?
George: The Roxy. Never been there, it was really cool.
Jason: It was a really fun fucking night.
George: Chris met Larry David; I got to meet Lenny from Motorhead.
Jason: We got to make asses in front of everyone from the label.
YMM: Do you guys have any crazy tour stories from all these years of tours?
George: On Warped tour I woke up one morning and had to take a poo. So I went and found the nearest porta-let. I got into the porta-let and took down my pants, and then it started to rise from the ground. Yeah a fork-lift picked me up. I managed to get out before I was stuck in there. I guess they were moving them or something. It was pretty scary.
YMM: Why don’t you play any songs from the Fuel From the Hate Game and Finding the Rhythms, other than Turnstyle?
George: We’ve playing more of our old stuff. But it’s hard ya know. We have like, over a hundred songs. And it’s like; we get more enjoyment out of playing songs we haven’t
played so much. And we have better shows if were having good times.
YMM: Let’s see, oh yeah, what happened to all the beards?
George: We’ll ya see they came out with this thing, the Mach III, and well, we all just wanted to try it.

YMM: Hey, could you hand me that bottle.
George: Drink break.
This is when Chris sits down. He turns down the bottle at first, than grabs it for a sip.
Chris: Pretty rough night last night.
George: Yea I was singing my ass off last night.
YMM: Is there an overall message that you’re trying to get out through your music?
Chris: We’re just trying to... be a band, ya know. The songs are about what’s going on in your life at that time.

YMM: What inspires you to play music?
Chris: Life, each other, the people we play with, everybody we tour with. Sometimes you just get that itch’ like ‘I gotta go play’.
Jason: That’s what we do, we play music.
YMM: We know that you’re influenced by older bands such as CCR and Circle Jerks. What current music are you inspired and influenced by?
Chris: I’m on a really heavy Beatles kick right now. As far as what we listen to in the RV, Outkast, Justin Timberlake, Sean Paul, we have dance parties all the time. We don’t really care, we’ll listen to whatever. What we listening to today?
Jason: Cake.
George: Jeff Buckley
YMM: So you have the new Outkast album?
Chris: It’s great dude!
YMM: Do you have any new songs that you have been working on?
Chris: Too much. It’s been about a year and a half, and all four of us write. So it’s always like, ‘check this out’, ‘check this out’.
YMM: That’s awesome that all four of you write. It makes things just work.
Chris: Yeah, but it can also make things take… forever. Like six months into it and someone is always like, ‘why didn’t we do this instead?
YMM: If the ocean were whiskey and you a duck (quoting a song they cover) what kind of whiskey would the ocean be?
Chris: Jameson. I’m a Jameson man. Everyone likes Jameson
George: I’ve been drinking a lot of vodka lately.
YMM: How do you like working with Epitaph?
Chris: I’m in love with Epitaph, I love ‘em. They’re all fans of music. They give a shit; they’re all fans of this kind of music. They work for Epitaph because they give a shit. Man, they’re just cool people. That’s all you can ask for.
YMM: How did you like recording Caution (latest release)?
George: I just went in by myself with a click track and laid down the tracks.
Chris: George and Jason put down all of their racks right away and left for vacation. Then Chuck and I came in and got crazy. We spent 31/2 weeks in there figuring out equipment.
YMM: I noticed you guys have a lot of Gibson Les Pauls.
Chris: I will try every other guitar but I know the Custom will always sound the best.
YMM: Have you guys ever considered leaving Gainesville?
Chris: Chuck moved to L.A.
George: Everywhere else is so expensive. I think we would have to get day jobs. I don’t wanna do that.
YMM: So it’s the last show of the tour. Are you excited, are you sad.
George: I’m everything, I’m excited, a little sad, but I have to get off this tour. There’s a lotta serious drinkers on this tour.
Chris: It’s been over a year, we’ve all been looking forward to it.

After the show everyone hung outside talking and drinking while fans came to introduce themselves. To no surprise, these guys are some of the nicest people ever.