BCR: Anyone on the horizon?
H: I talk to ‘em and I tell ‘em how it is. That we’re not that marketable, that we don’t write songs for the radio.
BCR: I’d disagree. In the larger cities I know that you would. There are other bands who are preaching the same thing and getting radio play – it all depends on the state you’re in.
H: Well, that all goes back to one thing, man, it’s getting down to communication and being on the phone. Because I don’t know those kind of people and I don’t … do much of that. That’s my whole thing. That’s kinda why we’re still snubbed in the underground and the thumb is held on us. We have longevity, we’re not one hit wonders, it takes a little while to get there. Like the Reverend Horton Heat – He never really had a number one song on MTV or on the radio but everywhere he plays he has this following and he knows how to keep it rolling… And he has a damn good fucking manager kicking ass for him. The only person my dog has tried to bite was my manager and I finally seperated myself from that. So I step it up and try to get it back together
BCR: I know the last record was released on Bruc records, did Curb create Bruc as a means to accommodate you or was it just time for them to grow up?
H: No! they created that to piss me off. Here’s a record… In the country music negotiations there’s never been a record with a parental advisory on it. I’m not even cussin’ that much, but it goes back to a proper way of thinking… like Nascar and all these American sports; there’s a fine line you cross. “Straight to Hell” and I say fuck and shit and goddamn and I’m talkin’ about pot and LSD an’ fuckin’ Dick in Dixie and Cunt in Country and shit like that. So for Curb Records… I’ve had a “Fuck Curb Records” campaign goin’ on for eight or six years, Tshirts and stage banners and all that stuff. They wanted to a) get that campaign taken care of and b) I had to sign a page and a half of legal documentation saying I can’t talk shit about Curb records unless it’s a fact. So I did that and took all the Fuck Curb shit down and now it’s the way of starting a new rock division… but if it’s a rock division why are they concerned about the liner notes that says fuck the Grand Ol’ Opry and fuck the country music association. They crossed those out. The next day I was in the office saying who the fuck did this? It goes back to censorship. I stood in that court room and fought that fuckin’ battle for a long time to NOT have someone take the word fuck off the record. It’s a never ending censorship issue. Keep in mind.. these are very small minded motherfuckers.
BCR: You should play them some George Carlin, Some Richard Pryor, Some NWA, It’s an American tradition now.
H: That’s just the business man. That’s Curb records, he’ll be out of my life. He was in the room the day I was fuckin’ born and there’s some thing there and he does not know how to deal with what we fuckin’ are.
BCR: Do you think he feels like he’s got an obligation to steer you in the same direction as your grandad and your dad’s path?
H: I think he has an obligation to maybe hold us back. There could be a thumb on me till the day Hank Jnr dies, you never know how this business deals… Or what the fuck, you know… We need to work with rock kinda people and someone who understands the country aspect of it a little bit because we have a very wide variety of fans out there.
BCR: I know that the Opry asks you to play at least once a year. And you’ve got such a huge array of people who come to your shows…
H: Lotta folks.. And we try to take care of all of ‘em, damnit. One hot show.
BCR: Did you ever have a major bust up at any of your shows or are they pretty peaceful things? Do you ever have to quell the crowd?
H: Not unless it’s called for, not unless the security guards are throwing people out for no reason.
BCR: So it’s never the fans?
H: Never the fan unless the fan is asking for it.Even if it’s the motherfucker who’s gonna jump up on stage and rip down my microphone and jump back in the crowd. That’s ok with me, he’s got some energy. Sometimes it’ll be good, sometimes it’ll be bad but most of the time, people know, if you come to the kinda clubs we play, if you stand in the front you’re gonna get pushed around and don’t get pissed. That happens allot and we’re definately one of the only bands that’s ever had a pit at Billy Bobs or Bucko’s place.
BCR: You recorded the song “Get Outta My Life” on “Rebel Meets Rebel” with David Allen Coe… He’s a controversial man with songs like “Move Dem Nigger North” and “Nigger Fucker” …
H: We’re not like that…
BCR: But how do you reconcile that with..
H: You know why he can throw that word around like that?……
...
BCR: Why?
H: Because, he spent time in jail and he had to make a decision. Alright, Are you goin’ be a bitch? Are you gonna join the white race? Or are you gonna join the black race? .. Or the Mexican race, or whatever.. so that’s why, at first, he threw that word around so freely. This was twenty years ago and now-a-days he’s changed. He’s been that way and he’s paid for it; that’s why he’s never gotten an award, that’s why he’s never had a number one song, but he’s written a bunch of ‘em and he’s got a following. I understand not everybodies down with that.
BCR: in terms of people like Johnny Rebel or Coe, he’s going to turn heads in relation to you… Over here where we don’t really have a country scene..
H: Over there you don’t really have a country scene?
BCR: Yup
H: I know y’all have a big electronical scene… I don’t know much about europe but I know there’s a hell of a lot of kids in black over there and the country is what it is. I’ve played a few festivals in Switzerland and shit…
BCR: Fuck... rockabilly, hellbilly and punk are huge here so..
H: Well, we’ll keep that in mind. We’ll see what’s up. I know when we get over there it’ll be completely different.
BCR: Well, your lyrics will certainly raise heads and although you seem to keep to script concerning old style country music - bad women, bad drink, bad times - you’ve stayed away from that fray. But you seem to be a fatalist… are you a fatalist?
H: I don’t think it’s gonna get any better… you know, I always look at the bad in the situation before I look at the good. I definitely appreciate the black and whatever happens, happens. But we enjoy it while we can. All those people, they just like songs for themselves, you’re not tryin’ to play the game, you’re just playin’ music and you do it… What’s the word you’re tryin’ to classify me as again?
BCR: um.. A fatalist..
H: A Satanist?
BCR: I kinda thought you were already…
H: Are you saying I’m a Satanist? I guess I am… A Satanist?
BCR: No, no.. a fatalist. Something that has an absolute end, nothing should be attempted because it’ll fuck up anyway…
H: Ah! No.. I believe… Livin’ like a dog and livin’ with no regrets, mam, that’s how I look at it… You can push the boundry but get your shit done.
BCR: Is that Shelton’s motto?
H: Definitely my motto is if you want to get it done, you gotta, almost, try to do it yourself… I mean you’ve always gotta fuck with it.. no matter what it is, you’ve always gotta fuck with it musically or in life or whatever. Our motto is we don’t get no respect like Rodney Dangerfield…. We’re Black Sheep outta the Bible Belt. That’s what I say.
BCR: How do you view the south, in view of how they view you? I know Austin is where your drinking lies…
H: Austin is a good time in terms of there’s allot of good bars and tennesse doesn’t really have allot of bars but it has allot of space and you can jam whenever you want to as opposed to what some people pay in LA and New York. You can go out on your front porch and sit and talk on your front porch if you want to. You can cash in on the south, it’s got its goods and its bads… It’s getting bigger. The rock clubs are startin’ to show up more and more.
BCR: Are you encouraging that sort of thing?
H: If there can be a scientology building on Music Road now there definitely should be more rock clubs opening up. Get over the stereotype of it ruining our children. They just need something to do, man, they just tryina get it out, get their frustrations. You can’t even go on the sidewalk without getting fucked with.
BCR: Are the Christian Right still calling the shots down there? – the Christian Republican Youth movement and all that?
H: It’s definitely very christian oriented. From my house where I live there’s five churches within a mile and you can buy crack another mile on down the road.
BCR: Well, there’s the hypocrise
H: It is what it.. you got all kinds, from Jehova to fucking baptists to scientolgy… there’s little cults forming but it’s… ah.. it’s very dominant. It’s in your face.
BCR: What’s with the misfits obsession?
H: That’s the way I learnt how to play. Basically they taught me how to play music. It’s been awesome to learn to play music from them and then play music with them. It’s been bad ass.
BCR: And if you could choose your band regardless of time, who would they be?
H: Oh fuck… Maybe, Johnny Island, Jerry Bird, Gene Hopeland… Randy Rhodes… And Mister Mike Patton.
BCR: When are you going to buy some unholy boots?
H: Ah, ha.. well, when they rip in half, then they’ll be gone, one of ‘em already just about there. But we’ll see… they’ve got about a year left. They’ve made a name for themselves, I know that. It’s the first time they’ve ever made show poster, on this tour theres a poster dedicate to ‘em. They’re getting close to being put out.
