Andy (Magnetic Ghost)
SPB: What is the weirdest venue you’ve played a show at (or attended)?
Andy: Seattle house show that wasn't in a house, but was in a yard, complete with a tarp covered in dumpstered mashed fruit which everyone was encouraged to wrestle in / on after imbibing copious amounts of Carlo Rossi jug wine. Total anarcho hippie vibe at its best. I haven't done this yet, but I'd really like to organize an outdoor winter show in Minnesota, ideally when it is pretty frigid. Maybe have it lit and sorta heated with burning barrels, but have the cold become an endurance test for the performer--- frostbite and chilblains as art? Call it "cold drone" or something.
Magana
SPB: Do you get nervous before you play a show?
Magana: Yep! There are 2 distinct phase of nervousness. The first one is my self-manager side. Did I do a good enough job with promotion? Should I be outside handing out flyers to the people passing by? Will anybody show up, or will I be playing to the person doing sound? And then immediately following is the performance anxiety. Did I practice enough? Am I going to mess up the solo in the third song? Are the people that are here going to get bored and leave in the middle of the set? And then I get onstage and drink wine and it's usually totally fine.
I get more nervous playing solo than when I play with a band. I feel more exposed and it's something that I'm less used to. And I get more nervous in front of tiny crowds than big crowds because it seems so much more personal. Like if I don't put on a perfect show, I'm going to deeply offend the people that are listening.
Bong Mountain
SPB: What’s your favorite protest song?
The serious, educational, and inspirational protest songs that have helped me through tough times just aren't enough right now -- they don't perfectly convey my anger towards the current state of things.
There isn't one song, but a full album”; Galactic Cannibal's "We're Fucked" is a statement within itself. It's angry, loud, sharp, and painstakingly crushing to your ears in an almost sarcastic manner. The overall message is in the title: WE'RE FUCKED. At this point, I think we are fucked -- not in a way that there is no hope but in a way that makes you forget about the state of things because you moshed too hard in your kitchen and put your own head through the wall because that's all there is to really do at this point. And at that, all you can really say is "THIS WORLD FUCKING SUCKS."
