POWERMAN 5000 INTERVIEW
By Benji Womack
June 1st, 2005
@ The Phoenix Theater- Petaluma, CA 94952

Ok out of no where I got a call from 101.7 The Fox and they asked me if I want to come out and do a piece on Powerman 5000, I was like why hell yes I would. They had me come down to the radio station in Santa Rosa, CA and meet the band and sit with them through there radio show, basically the way it went down was I went to the station and meet the band , they where doing a two hour show live playing there favorite songs and promoting there show they where doing that night. After they where done we all road back the venue The phoenix theater and I watch them play a sold out show with my brothers from Hostility , it was the shit, I then caught up with Spiders after the show to do my interview with him and here is what he had to say.

BENJI-So what do you guys think of this whole radio show thing?
SPIDERS- I was amazed on cool is was, I didn't know what to expect, we never played this venue before. Rumors of rumors that the station was playing the new song and supporting the band. But I could not have had a better response it was rocking.

BENJI I noticed you have two local bands playing with you tonight, are you guys doing this kind of thing on your entire tour, giving the local bands love, or is this just they way this show ended up?
SPIDERS-You know that has been the new thing, usually in the old days on past tours we taken out bands with record contracts. Since we been touring, all we been taking out is local bands, and helping them out. Its fun man, you get to play with different bands every night, I'm all about supporting local music and I know how tough it is starting out. Its fun to hook up a band and give them the opportunity to play in front of a lot of people.

 BENJI What direction is Powerman 5000 taking there music this time?
SPIDERS-Well who knows really till the record comes out, I mean we are always changing, trying new things, but my vibe is to get a lot rawer, get a lot more straight ahead rock n roll. I'm going to make an old school record, like in the sprit of the Sex Pistols, just like really fucking raw because I think that's missing in music right now. Everything is so over produced and slick, I'm just tired of it; I just want to make something real.

BENJI Is there any message that you guys are trying to send out to the fans?
SPIDERS- I mean m y message has always been the same from day one, its just like you know I'm always on a constant mission to just expose the bullshit, you know(laughing), because there is so much bullshit going on in the world, whether in be in the music industry or just in general. I was in a crusade last album because I got tired of seeing shit I love, culture I love , youth culture I love being co-opted by corporate America , there's so much fake shit out there, and its nice to expose it.

BENJI What's the best show you can remember playing?
SPIDERS- WOW That's tough man, because there all cool, you know I almost said tonight because this has been one of the top shows since we been back out, honestly we been stuck out on the road for the last six months or so and this is one of the night lights you know it was really, man it was rocking man!

BENJI -The worst?
SPIDERS- That would be probably something in the early days. There are two kinds of worst shows, there's the one back in the early days when know one cared and there's two people, and there's the one where every thing goes wrong, and recently we just went back to the east coast playing in a club where I grew up in. So it was like all the home town boys coming out, kids I went to high school with, all kinds of shit, and it was a disaster from the first note, guitars out of tune, shit breaking, drums falling over, it was so embarrassing man. So that was one of the low lights.

BENJI In your opinion what if any changes need to be made in the music industry?
SPIDERS-You know there is a time when bands were honest and giving an opportunity to grow and change make multable records, and now if you don't hit on your first record you are gone. That's a problem because you know its funny I was watching this music hall of fame induction and its funny because Bono from U2 was like if U2 was around today there would be no U2, because we flopped on our 2nd record. So it's really about that because that's what gives music its strength, when bands get to develop and change over a course of years. Not just to expect to hit a home run on the first time out.

BENJI Tell me the emotion you have deep inside of your soul when you are on that stage performing in front of all your fans Describe it the best you can?
SPIDERS-The way I describe it is like somebody ask me on the way over here tonight are you nervous, and I said no , I never get nervous doing a show because that's really where I feel the most relaxed and at home, and most comfortable is like sharing that experience with the crowd. Off stage I don't know, I 'm not that fucking social guy, I feel ox ward off stage, but when I get on stage I feel relaxed and at home. Its just a hard thing to describe, when you get a crowd like tonight and become one with them Its an exciting thing man , that's why I do what I do, its what makes it all worth while.

BENJI What CD do you have in your CD player right now?
SPIDERS-A lot of shit man, I'm always rocking to some Sex Pistols, The Flash, The Ramons, these things are always in my CD player

BENJI What's you thoughts on us government and war?
SPIDERS-You know that's a tough one, because there is so much we can talk about here, but I think we got ourselves in load of shit man, and it's going to take decades to get out of this. Its unfortunate man because there is a lot of young kids over there dieing for something there not even certain why their there. You know when we are on tour we go to a lot of military towns, and we was just over in Hawaii , and there is a lot of military dudes and they like yea we are going over there but not quit sure why and what there doing over there. It's unfortunate that you got to put your life on the line for something you don't even believe in.

BENJI What does Powerman do in there other life?
SPIDERS-I hang out man , I got a baby boy, nine month baby boy, so I'm always with him man , so when I'm not rocking the stage out , I'm like Mr. Mom and chase him around and shit. (LAUGHING)

BENJI What advice do you have for the new band that is trying to come up and doesn't have a clue? What do you wish someone would have told you, when you started out in the biz.
SPIDERS-One thing I say to bands is, well let's see a lot of bands come up to me and are like how do I get a record deal. Like that's the last fucking thing you should be worried about. Don't make like the major record label record deal be the gold ring man. That's not what it's all, about; you should be worried about being the best fucking band you can be. Reach out in your home town, be the best band in your home town, and forget about the record deal, if that is in the cards and meant for you, that will fine you, don't go chasing that shit, because that is not the answer, if you have a kick ass band and the people like you then you will be successful, records labels and managers don't make you successful, if anything that becomes a fucking problem. So I would say just focus on being the best band you can be and all the other things will start coming to you.

BENJI- THANKS SPIDERS
SPIDERS- THANKS, GREAT INTERVIEW

By Benji Womack- Your Music Magazine/ Army of Pit Soldiers Presents
www.powerman5000.com
www.armyofpitsoldiers.com