Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats interview

Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats are amateurs musicians. They also come from England, therefore we owe to pay them more respect, respect which is increasing because of their new, third album called "Mind Control". Huge fan of the old stuff and horror movies, Uncle Acid stands proudly across Uncle Sam and seems ready to conquer him as well.

Good evening sir. "Mind Control" is your third studio album and the first one to be released from a record label. Was it about time for that?
I suppose so. It was good to have an actual budget for a change.

I think it’s the most interesting record of yours so far, meaning that "Mt. Abraxas" for example is an epic song and if I may also say, the heavier you have ever composed. In your opinion, which are the main differences of "Mind Control" towards its predecessor?
I don't think it should be compared to our other albums. It's a whole different concept with different ideas. It should be judged on its own.

You became well known after releasing "Blood Lust", your second album and most of us heard "Vol. 1" afterwards. Any good reasons for this non succession of hearing?
We only pressed a few copies of "Vol. 1" so that's why most people haven't heard it. We didn't have any fans back then and could only afford to make about 30 copies!

Even though many believe that your unique voice sets Uncle Acid apart from other bands, I consider your guitar sound and especially your guitar solo as the band’s trademark. Who wins in the end? The singer or the guitar player?
Guitars every time. Singing is just wasted time between guitar solos! We're realize the importance of good guitar sounds. So many people go out and buy those huge, awful 150W amps and then sell them six months later because they break your back and sound like total shit. Get yourself a small fender amp and kill it with a good fuzz.

You are not famous for your live shows, in fact your first one was at the end of March if I’m not mistaken. Was it because of the fourth member you didn’t have?
That's correct. Also, a lot of the older stuff is difficult to do live so we didn't have many songs to choose from to even make a set list. They were written as studio songs rather than live songs. With the new album the arrangements are a lot easier to translate into the live setting.

Is Cambridge after all a cursed place for the creation of a musical scene?
It's just too small a place for a musical scene. The university owns most of the land here so if there's ever any decent live venues they get shut down. It was probably a bit better in Pink Floyds day, but even they had to move to London to really get going.

Do you consider yourself as a professional musician? If not, what then?
Not really. It's hard to make any kind of living out of being a musician, so I have another job.

When I first heard "Follow The Leader", I thought this guy really likes George Harrison. Who’s your favorite member from the Beatles and your top album of them?
Haha....I love all The Beatles. They are a huge influence on everyone in the band.  If I had to pick a favorite member though, it would probably be Paul McCartney. I just think overall he wrote the best songs. Amazing bass player too. My favorite album by them would be "The Magical Mystery Tour". Again they had so many great albums so it's very hard to say, but I'll go with that one today.

The evil queen gave a poison apple to the Snow White. To whom would you give a same one and why for?
I'll save it for later.

Evil, Death and Devil are some words from the recent song titles. What happened to Good, Life and God? Do they still exist?
Of course they do! You can't have one without the other. A lot of the album is to do with the balance between light and dark, good and evil, love and hate. It's the idea of Abraxas. God, love and life are all referenced in the lyrics too. I suppose what you choose to focus on depends on your perspective. "Poison Apple" talks about the air and the sun, the water, the trees, the animals...but at the same time it also references death, cocaine, poison and the underworld. That's what life is; Good and Evil.

Why do you think all these horror movies from the 60s & 70s are still attractive after so many years?
They just look right. They're all grainy and hazy like a bad nightmare. It's the tape they were filmed on. Modern horror does not look right at all. Even the ones with good stories. Horror should not be hi definition. It's like the difference between analog recording and digital.

Is Uncle Acid the biggest opponent for Uncle Sam?
Uncle Acid is the counter culture. If Uncle Sam represents all government and the establishment then Uncle Acid is the bum on the street.

You seem to be a band with a low profile. Do you think you will be able to handle your increasing publicity?
Doesn't bother me in the slightest. I don't pay any attention to publicity.

Well, in case you will ever need a place to hide, we’ll be more than happy to have you here in Greece, because just like you use to say... We love you all. Thanks a lot dear sir...
Thanks! I can't wait to go back to Greece someday...we love you all!