NANANANANANANANA H-BLOCK; NANANANANANANANA H-BLOCK;
NANANANANANANANA H-BLOCK; NANANANANANANANA H-BLOCK;
H-BLOCK, H-BLOCK,
H-BOOOOOOOOOCKKKKKKKKKKKK
Here goes my first attempt at a big "status fanzine" type intro (hell, I've stolen their wall paper, I might as well rip a few other ideas from them). I first heard H-Block god knows how many years ago when I picked up a copy of the "voice in the crowd" cd. It was five bucks, it looked cool, and I'd heard good things about them. I liked. But "no room for apathy" really got me hooked. Then I finally got my arse out to see them at MYC's last show...H-Block 101 are one of those bands that get progressively better everytime you see them play. They've gotten to the stage where they're competing with Fez Perez for the title of my favourite band to see live. The cd's are good, but these guys put on an awesome rock show. The jams are a kick arse jam, and a lot of people get to meet the band afterwards (if you don't understand what I'm talking about there, go listen to Wesley Willis). Anyway, that didn't work, so here's the fucking interview...
Oh wait, I should probably say that this was done by email over the last few months, and over the course of reading his replies I think I've realised that Karl is a damn cool guy, with a shitload of valid things to say, so if you get the chance, talk to him, you might learn something.
SETBACK ZINE: First off, congratulations on signing to Universal...how did that come about? How does it feel to have some kind of label backing (finally)?
KARL MAUTNER: Initially when we were with shock there was a bloke there, Graham Ashton, who was really into us (and the Clash). Did a lot of good for us. Then he left to go and work at EMI. He had a friend at Universal, John Zucco, who as young blokes had a clashy type punk band together. Graham said to John "there's this band that we've both been waiting for, check thm out". He did and loved what he heard - the rest happened from there. Unfortunately in this country you need this kind of backing to even hope to make a living from music. Was Japanese Transistor or Aunty PAuline any less of a song than Koka-Kolonisation? No - but Koke got played on the radio, didn't it? That kind of sums up my point.
Plus, working a regular type job is great, and I really like it for a while. But when your heart isn't in it, after a while you're not only letting yourself down but the people you work for. Fuck that. The band was suffering from us not being able to put 100% into it. It's great that a label like
Grude/Universal has looked at us abnd said "we'll help you blokes out - don't change a thing"...and we haven't, apart from putting more energy into the band itself.
S/B: Anyway, on with the interview...usual first question: who does what in the band and the cartoon character they find most attractive...
KARL: Brent Milhouse - bass/vocals; Matt Bodiam - drums/percussion; Rick Munro - lead guitar/vocals; Karl Mautner - vocals/guitar. Since I'm answering these questions you only get my opinions - sorry. Most attractive cartoon character is Princess from Battle of the Planets (G-Force) which was a mid-80's cartoon on channel 2. Bloody unreal. Cool theme song too.
(I think I remember that, it was this cartoon with like these cars and planes and shit that turned into a flaming condor or something...it was the fucking coolest cartoon when I was five years old - s/b).
S/B: How did H-Block101 initially come about?
KARL: I put up some ads in missing link and au go go, took ages 'cause no one was into 77 influenced punk. Brent and I hooked up briefly before H-Block101 started. The intial line up was a three piece in late 1994. then Rick joined 6 months later. The other two are no longer in the band. go to our website for a more detailed history!
S/B: What about you yourself? What motivated you to start playing music? what lead you to choose your particular instrument?
KARL: I was basically an outcast in my hometown, probably something I self perpetuated in the end. I found music as the only confidence builder - so what if I didn't fit in with the others or have the right clothes, they aren't into the great music I'm into. Fuck them. I think a lot of kids are like that. Cut off your nose to spite your face kind of shit. I was into Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, Rose Tattoo - a heap of stuff that sort of enhanced my anger and abrasiveness. I initially taught myself drums because one of my cousins had an old drum kit that I thought I could get for nothing. In the end, after getting a reputation as a shit hot drummer (fuck I had them fooled) I tried to start a band and realised that back then drummers were a dime a dozen and there were no guitarists. So I taught myself guitar. Easier to write songs if you can play guitar too. I never saw myself being in a successful band 'cause I could never see myself being able to play as well as all those metal guitarists. All that changed when I heard the Clash. The simplicity struck me as genius. Plus it showed me I don't have to be technically profficient to be in a band. Musicianship has a tendency to overcomplicate things and make them boring. Who wants to hear a 5 minute guitar solo? I wanna hear "White Riot" done in two fucken minutes!
S/B: Who would you say is the biggest influence on you as an individual? Is there any one person or persons who has an effect on the way you play, sing, turn the pots on your amp, or whatever?
KARL: Joe Strummer for me, I guess is pretty obvious. He hacks away on guitar and so do I. Bob Marley for his militancy. I really like the guitar sounds on Gang Of Four's "entertainment" album (the first one).
S/B: If you could've played in any band, who would it have been? (I think I know the answer to this : ) )
KARL: I know you want me to say the Clash, but, as wanky as it sounds, I really love the band I'm in. Ahh, isn't that sweet. Seriously though, I think we've got some important things to say, we're making some original music (yes, there is a 77 feel to some of it, but none of the songs really sound like anyone else), and the other blokes in the band are fantastic friends.
H-Block in the lavvy (I love that word) at the arthouse...you can probably see some fez perez stickers in the background if you look hard enough...all these pictures were stolen from the H-Block website...
S/B: Lyrically, you guys have always been unashamed to say what you think about politics, social issues, etc. without ever being preachy...do you find yourselves consciously trying NOT to shove your opinions down other peoples throats?
KARL: I never used to, I'd just write about what was pissing me off at the time. But then people started saying that we wrote great socially and politically aware songs without being preachy - that's when I started loking at my songs and thinking "is that being preachy?". I still can't tell. What makes a preachy song? I write the same as I used to, but I guess the more experience you have, the more things you have to think about.
S/B: Because of this, you've tended to become known as a "political band" (albeit one with a shitload of integrity, unlike some others)...do you find this in any way limiting?
KARL: No, Because we draw from so many influences it's never limiting. So what if we write a soul number that deals with heroin abuse (on the new albm)? It's never been done before (that I know of) (I think Marvin Gaye might've beaten you to it, but I'm not sure - s/b), but that's a good thing, right? It's definitely not limiting. If you sing about girls (or boys), that seems limiting to me. We've always seen what we do as a means to say something important about society.
Songs about girls are, I don't know...selfish. They are aout two people, you and that girl. Other people can think it's about them, but it's not.
S/B: How's the tour with Grinspoon goin? Are they total rock star arseholes? How is the band going down with their audience?
KARL: I heard rumors they were arseholes, especailly the singer, but they are pretty nice actually. I guess when they are around there is kind of a rock star feeling in the room, but that is probably because we are the anti-rock stars. We let everyone know that we are just like everyone else.
Sometimes the crowd is good. Grinspoon's crowd tends not to get there until half and hour before Grinspoon are about to come on. Pisses me off a little that attitude. Kind of reeks of the "I don't really like the band, I just like to be at where it's seen to be cool to be". Queensland was fucken unreal though. On the Gold Coast the doors opened at 7 and by 7:30 the joint was nearly packed.
same with Nambour. Beenleight would've been too, but they couldn't get the people in fast enough 'cause they had to check them for weapons and shit!
S/B: What one record do you own that you think most H-Block fans will find surprising?
KARL: There's quite a few, but I'll keep it brief. Michael Jackson's thriller. Love the Jackson Five too. Madonna's first two albums. Not that I listen to those much these days. Ones that I listen to that might be a bit of a surprise: All of Thin Lizzy's albums. Henry Rollins just did a cover of Are You Ready with original guitarist Scott Gorham on it, so I guess they can't be too embarassing to like. Phil Lynott is (was? - s/b) a fantastic songriter and storyteller.
S/B: You seem to be failr yprolific songwriters...I've never seen you do anything like the same set twice. It's obvious that just about everyone in the band writes stuff...how does the actual song writing process work for you guys? Does someone come in with everything already written? Or do you just make it up on the spot?
KARL: We write mostly by ourselves. Do the whole thing on 4 track then give everyone a tape of it and then rehearse it the next week. Usually someone will have an extra bit to add to it. Occasionally Rick or Matt will come up with some music and they'll ask me to write a vocal melody, lyrics and arrange it. We kind of pride ourselves on doing different set lists every time. Even on the Grinspoon tour. 22 shows with a different set list every time. Superheist were like "what the fuck are you doing?". Most of those bigger bands you'll find do the same set over and over. I never realised that until seeing Superheist and Grinspoon. I guess they're playing mostly off their new albums. We like to play stuff from all over the place. Some songs get played more regularly than others of course.
S/B: Are we going to see a video for Koka-Kolonisation? dd you ever do any videos apart from the one for Truth?
KARL: Too lare (and unorganised) for Koka. We would have loved to though. I think we'll be doing one for the next single (undecided as yet). We started making one for Aunty Pauline ages ago, but it's still unedited. I'd like to finish it at some stage.
I love filmclips. I cannot express how excited I was the first time I saw Tommy Gun.
S/B: How did you find making that video?
KARL: We filmed Truth in Brent's lounge room. The cd player kept jumping which in the end didn't matter 'cuase none of it synced up. I hate film clips that don't snyc.
playing live in Sydney
S/B: What's planned for H-Block this year? Are you going to get a turntable guy onboard and start pandering to the Chapel street crowd (excuse my cynicism)? Or possibly a cartoon series concerning the band's madcap adventures as secret agent's a la josie and the pussycats?
KARL: The Windsor part of Chapel street used to be so good, but now that's fucked with trendy wankers too. (excuse MY cynicism).Awhile ago we were thinking of doing a comic book just for the hell of it - then I remembered I couldn't draw. Um...release the (double) album (WOOHOO! - s/b), tour as much as possible, do some unconventional things that bands on record labels don't usually do (who knows what that is, but we're a bunch of creative blokes - no turntables though).
on the arthouse roof...
S/B: Finally, finish this sentence:
You're walking down the street and see Robert Menzies bent over, tying up a shoelace, thus presenting his ample buttocks as the perfect target for a good kicking, (a la principle skinner in the science fair episode of the Simpsons). Do you:
a) Say, "well, he's done a lot for the country" and hurry off to the shops
to get this week's copy of new idea?
b) Deliver a swift boot up the botty or to the bollocks, say, "that's for getting
re-elected to a twelve year term and consistently taking advantage of a
naive voting public's gullibilty by using the educated as a scapegoat, you
fat bastard!" before legging it?
c) Quickly grow a giant tomato with the use of anabolic steroids, heave it at
the ex-prime minister and quickly piss off, yelling "deary deary me, what's
happened to my kippers? oyster madam? no, really I prefer elephants" and
so on?
or
d) Something else (if so, what?)
KARL: Being a big fan of Homer and Bart, I'd love to say c), but I'll be a seriously boring bastard and say that Menzies had so much going for him - worked his way up from being a country boy, got a scholarship. He could've done good for the average joe and showed them that you didn't have to come from upper echelons of society to make a difference. But of course it all went to his head. Had a touch of the Kennetts to him - my way or the
highway - except when it came to his beloved fucken monarchy.
Shit dase what a question to end on
Seeya later!
Thanks go to Ally for help with the questions, and Karl for taking the time to really think through those answers, and not bullshit me. Check out the H-Block website (the link's above)
