Live Girls

By Chuck Ansbacher

Friday February 25, 2005

Slapping and Popping on the Doom Broom

I’d heard rumors about Jesse Nobody being a real tough interview, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn quite the opposite. He and life partner Jeremiah were surprisingly open, and actually touched me with their sincere honesty. Jeremiah was giving Jesse a shoulder massage during this entire interview. Seriously.

ONLY: First thing that comes to mind?
Jesse: I fully stand behind Robert Blake in his trial.
Jeremiah: I believe Robert Blake could kill somebody. He looks fucking crazy. He’s got death in his eyes.
Jesse: I cut my wrists on the broken marbles.
ONLY: Have you ever tried to commit suicide?
Jesse: I tried to hang myself on a guitar string… I’m trying to get sponsored by Red Bull.
ONLY: You play drums Jeremiah?
Jesse: Yes
ONLY: Yeah?
Jeremiah: No.
ONLY: No?
Jeremiah: Doom Broom…
ONLY: How long have you been doing that for the band?
Jeremiah: For the band? Uh… Nine months to three and a half years.
Only: Are you in any other bands? Cause you’re in six, right Jesse?
Jesse: I’m in two bands.
Only: Which bands are you in?
Jesse: I’m in Dandi Wind. I’m the new punk drummer for Dandi Wind. Live Girls is my side project.
Only: What do you think of bands that are getting drummers that didn’t used to have drummers?
Jesse: I kinda want to get rid of the drummer and just have the old click track from a Farfisa.
Only: Would that make you jealous Jeremiah?
Jeremiah: Well I usually play Doom Broom, so it wouldn’t make me that jealous.
Jesse: Sometimes we call Jeremiah Ringo Starr.
Only: He was the walrus.
Jeremiah: I only use one stick.
Only: How would you define your sound, guys?
Jeremiah: I usually don’t like our sound guys.
Jesse: I just keep it real.
Only: Real dumb?
Jesse: Yeah kinda. I was trying to be really intelligent there. Sorry…
Jeremiah: I don’t think there’s enough slapping and popping.
Only: Maybe you should take on another member.
Jeremiah: I think a real broom would be a good addition…
Only: Which record changed your life the most?
Jesse: The CeCe Peniston “Finally” Twelve Inch.
Jeremiah: One time Crispin Glover tried to join our band, but he only had two of the three secret stones.
Only: Secret stones?
Jesse: The kind you hold in your hand and imagine a time when sex was pure and gold, when racism was on the way out. You know, crooked teeth, cut hands, cigarettes burn to the end. Everything is relevant. Forget about the person standing in front of you. They have their own problems.
Jeremiah: You should also check out my new band Skatland Yard. We’re a ska band. Scottish.
Jesse: It’s fourth wave ska.
Only: Are there any bands in Vancouver that feel and think the way you do?
Jesse: I think we relate more to drug addicts and homeless people. Right now we’re coming from desperate times, trying to utilise what little we have. Things will change.
Only: Has Vancouver swallowed you up?
Jesse: No, not at all. We tried to fit in with the punks but they were too old to get it.
Jeremiah: I still sing in a British accent.
Only: What excites you about popular music today?
Jesse: It doesn’t.
Only: What about Lil Jon?
Jesse: Little John? I only sell his CD at work.
Jeremiah: I think anyone who goes for the farmer thing is in a class all their own, and deserves their own special sort of ridicule…
Only: So if nothing in music today excites you, are you trying to do something about that?
Jesse: I’m just trying to get myself off.
Only: You’re not trying to make an interesting sound?
Jesse: Well basically when I start to write a song, it comes from a serious place of depression and denial. And it’s just who I am. It’s who I’ll always be. And I choose not to fit in. And it’s nice to know that Jer-Bear is free.
Jeremiah: I think if I played some slap bass underneath that it would be a killer spoken word track.
Only: That sounded like a Seinfeld monologue if I’ve ever heard one.
Jeremiah: I could never play that.
Jesse: I kinda relate to George Costanza.
Only: I think he would be a live girls fan.
Jesse: I hope so. He’d be our only fan.