On Thursday the mighty Defcon 5 will grace the stage of the famed New Haven rock club Cafe 9. Who are the Defcon 5 you ask? They are a garage/punk band who set the standard for everything to follow in the new millennium in New England. They are an in your face rock and roll band. they are bad ass. I recently talked to Live Mike the vocalist of The Defcon 5 and asked him some questions. Here are 7 of those questions:
DHR - Describe The Defcon 5.
LIVE MIKE - The Defcon Five is fun. That's how I want to describe it. That how I want people to perceive it. It's fun rock and roll. The four of us all kind of see eye to eye, in that rock and roll should make people want to shake their asses. Hopefully people want to do that when they hear our stuff.
Musically though, I'd call us rock punk, as apposed to punk rock. I guess bands like Cheap Trick and Kiss are as important to our sound as much as the Sex Pistols or Damned. All in all we're just a bunch of weirdos making fast loud, and catchy noise.
Our songs are about rock and roll stuff: driving, comic books making out with chicks, rocking, ass kicking, and rocking. No political nonsense.
DHR - You broke up in 2004. Reformed last summer. What has changed in the band since 2004?
LIVE MIKE - It's kinda funny. Not too much has changed. We sort of picked up where we left off. I still like all the silly garage and bubblegum and punk music I always have liked.We're all on the same page still musically. We're older...maybe a little wiser. But not much wiser. I think this time around we're better at playing more songs in less time.
DHR - What record has changed your life?
LIVE MIKE - A friend of mine got a cassette of Ramones Leave Home at a tag sale when we were maybe 12 or 13. He ended up giving it to me, and it was game over. As a kid I always like to listen to music. Whatever my older sisters were listening to at the time I suppose was cool with me. But, good god! That Ramones tape was my first step into truly loving music. Some people might have a hard time with this question, but for me, if hadn't gotten that tape back then, I'd be a different person.
DHR - Meat is Murder, or Rocket To Russia?
LIVE MIKE - Meat Rocket to Murder Russia! As much as i dig the Smiths, everything begins and ends with the Ramones. so...Rocket to Russia.
DHR - As an "in your face" rock 'n' roll front man who/what do you cite as your influences?
LIVE MIKE - Sex, basketball, garbage pail kids, fire crackers, brass knuckles, James Brown, and Freddy Mercury!
DHR - If you could join 1 local band for a day who would it be?
LIVE MIKE - Hmmmmm. I've joined the Black Noise Scam and The Hulls on occasion. So- mission accomplished.
DHR - What would your dream bands lineup be?
LIVE MIKE - Brett Rules on rhythm guitar, Sean Lewis on Bass, Moe Porne on drums, Screamin Jay Hawkins on vocals, Mike Nesmith on guitar and backing vocals, Jeff Lynn on keyboards and harmonies, The Bee Gees as backup singers, Morrissey on the tambourine, Tony Visconti as producer and Jeffry Thunders in the mosh pit!
catch Live Mike and Defcon 5 with The Lost Riots and the Damn Kids at Cafe 9 Thursday May 17th. bring your diapers because you are bound to poop your pants
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