Massappeal - An Interview With Randy Reimann
The 1985 Sydney hardcore band Massappeal came together to release their original mini LP Nobody Likes A Thinker and second LP Jazz with bonus tracks, The Dwarf caught up with lead singer Randy to chat about the evolution of Massappeal and how a band like Massappeal has grown and developed and its future in the music scene. Although 21 years later still enjoys the thrill of the stage and performing. Their live performance is one no one should miss in their lifetime.
The Dwarf: What was your biggest influence musically growing up that made you want to go out there and kick it?
Randy: Around the time MA started I was listening to a lot of stuff outa DC, bands like Rites of Spring, Minor Threat and Bad Brains. I also really dug Husker Du, Black Flag, Mission of Burma, Discharge, Meat Puppets, Butthole Surfers, chrome and Flipper. I should also mention that I loved Devo and Pere Ubu's "dub housing" LP and other post punk stuff at that stage, I didn't know it was called post punk. These are just some of the bands that I liked; the other guys have their own lists too.
The Dwarf: What has helped the band stay together still develop over your 11 year existence?
Randy: Giving each other a lot of space/distance!? I think all the guys in MA are big music fans and we get pretty excited over new stuff, both our own and all the CD's that we buy and drive our partners crazy with.
The Dwarf: Seeing so many bands come and go, what is their major downfall that you have avoided?
Randy: I don't know if we've avoided downfalls, I can think of some pretty low moments in Massappeal's history. We did break up once remember.
The Dwarf: Is the DIY approach your approach?
Randy: Our new LP was recorded by our friend Jamie Fonti on a very old Mac in a warehouse run by nutters. It costs us a few Turkish pizza's, some taxi fares, and our time. It's our most DIY to date.
The Dwarf: What do you enjoy most about being in Massappeal?
Randy: Just losing it. Giving it everything for that 45 minutes on stage. Being thoughtless, animalistic, having fun and hoping others enjoy it too.
TheDwarf: Kolliope is such a different direction to Massappeal, what led you down this path?
Randy: Massappeal started playing around with loops and stuff when we were recording The Mechanic. During one of the recording sessions for The Mechanic I skated from the recording studio to the Sydney Entertainment Centre to see Frank Sinatra. Around this time I was also seeing Australian bands like The Lab (paulmac) and Severed Heads. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love music. Not just punk and hardcore. In fact, by the late 80's early 90's I was pretty over most hardcore, and grunge was the end of guitars for me for a long time. Hardcore was becoming so formulaic, macho and a boys club. I wanted to buy a sampler and write pop songs or dance music. I'd often dream songs at night and in the morning I'd hum them into a tape player, the tunes were always poppy or country or folky, but never punky. Anyway it took me a while to get the sampler and meet my partner Michelle Taylor (singer/songwriter for Kolliope). MA got me into pop music and electronic music.
The Dwarf: What was the best thing about touring alongside Rollins Band?
Randy: I was such a fan of the Life Time record and a huge Black Flag fan. It was also cool that they dug our tunes too. Nice guys.
The Dwarf: Any tours lined up in the near future?
Randy: Getting us together is always difficult. But we're doin' some shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for these re-releases and then there'll be the new record in 2007.
The Dwarf: The last gig I saw, you played mainly new songs, is this because monotony comes from playing the music created 10 years ago?
Randy: Yes, we like playing new songs and old ones that we like. Massappeal have never really been the type of band to just slog out the oldies. But cuz we're doing these re-releases we will be doing a few shows just of Thinker & Jazz tunes. I do understand that some people actually like these old songs and I'll have fun playing them (just this f@#kin' once!).
The Dwarf: How much energy goes into your live shows?
Randy: The last gig in Sydney I came off the stage vomiting through exhaustion. (I'm gettin' too old for this nonsense).
The Dwarf: Do you consider yourselves less or more punk these days? How so?
Randy: I'd say punk maybe, hardcore maybe, and post hardcore? My son screams in a local (Byron Bay) metal/hardcore band (called, "In Hearts Wake") and I go see young h/c and metal bands with him. Massappeal are from another planet when compared with that scene, BUT I do remember feeling the same way about those scenes back in the 80's & 90's I never felt that we (MA) slotted in with any scene. Punk was always more than a sound to me and I do feel that there's something punkish about us.
The Dwarf: What is your favourite Massappeal song?
Randy: God!! I never really think of liking MA songs, they’re like part of your anatomy; they're choiceless carbuncles I have to live with. Ummm I really like playing a song off Nommo Anagonno called 'Totem Tour #5' I always want that on the set list, it's a great tune to scream. I also like some of the tunes on Jazz.
The Dwarf: Will the next LP have any major twists and turns to previous releases such as Jazz or Nommo?
Randy: I've still to lay down some vocal tracks and now I have an entire room full of gadgets and noise makers so who knows, we may keep it really raw or I may feed the tunes to my laptop, we'll see.
