NO-FI "MAGAZINE"
interview with
Interview by Chris Beyond!
Conducted in Their Tour Mini-Van
Silverlake, December, 1999
I met ZOOBOMBS (known as ZBONS in Japan) the first time that they played at Spaceland. It was one of those nights where I didn't know any of the bands playing. It took them forever to get through their soundcheck, but when they started playing, they immediately stole the crowd with their blend of "rock and rap" . Nobody cared that the songs were all in Japanese. Everyone understood and couldn't wait till they returned. Well they did and I was lucky enough to get an interview. We did the interview in their tour van after their latest show at Spaceland.
D = Don (Guitar/Vocals)
MA = Matta (Super Funky Organ/Vocals)
MO = Moo (Bass/Vocals)
B = Bukka (Beats)
C = Chris Beyond (Me, Myself, & I)
C: Where does your name come from?
D: Matta, the keyboard player, came up with the idea of the name.
MA: It's kind of too stupid to explain in a way...like too silly.
C: (pause) Um, that's fine. I'm ok with that.
MA: Well personally I think the name Zbon is Latin or Portuguese for trousers. And the sound of Zbon really hit on me and it became my theme or trend in myself and I thought it would be pretty cool if there was a band called ZBONS. That's how it originally started.
D: When we were playing as the opening act for FLAMING PIGS back in Japan we still carried the name spelled Z-B-O-N-S, but people in America can't pronounce it properly so that inspired us to spell it Z-O-O-B-O-M-B-S.
C: So thats why the original album, it sez ZBONS. Who are your favorite smaller bands from here in America or in Japan?
D: ROLLING STONES! ROLLING STONES! BLACK EYED PEAS...I really like them. They're hip-hop artists from L.A. I like them a lot.
MA: (With much enthusiasm) I like VELVET UNDERGROUND!
MO: Otis Redding...and soul!
D: (Laughing) He wants to be Otis Redding.
C: He looks like him!
(Laughing ensues)
MO: James Brown...ahhhh...and THE ROLLING STONES.
(Everyone laughs)
C: So you're all big ROLLING STONES fans...have you seen them in concert?
EVERYONE: Yeah! Yah! Yeah! Yes Yes Yes!
C: Were they good?
EVERYONE: Yeah! Yah! Yes! Yeah!
D: Yeah! Very Good!
C: Are you guys going to open for the ROLLING STONES some day?
EVERYONE: (Excited) Yes! Yeah! Yeahhh!
C: Everyone'll be there to see you though. Maybe 50 people there for ROLLING STONES. What are some of your favorite things in California since you've been here?
D: Downtown! I kind of liked the vibe there. I took a bus from Hollywood, where I was staying last time, to the Downtown.
B: I love Mexican food very much!
C: Have you been to Mexico?
B: No we haven't been down there yet.
C: They have concerts in Tijuanna too, (Iguannas) but that city is very scary. You have to be careful there.
MO: I like second hand record stores.
MA: I've been looking for a place where I can buy stuffed animals for my collection. Do you know where I might find some?
C: Hmmmmm...well what kind of stuffed animals.
MA: Like old ones? And CHEAP! Not antique.
C: So like animals?
MA: Yeah, stuffed animals.
C: I'll see what I can find. Most of my friends collect action figures, but someone might know. Have you guys ever seen MELT BANANA?
(MELT BANANA are a noise band from Japan.)
D: We played with them before they had a record contract. Thats was four years ago now.
C: Did you like them?
D: (being nice) We don't listen to them.
C: Yeah, it's kind of like SHHHKKKSHHHGGGHH! Have you ever held a monkey?
D: No! In Japan there is a monkey called the Makaku. It has a red face and a red butt. They're too pushy and aggravating to hold them anyway.
C: Monkeys are rude.
D: Really! You can't even make eye contact with them or they will attack you.
C: Are there like bad neighborhoods...like bad monkey neighborhoods?
D: They're just out there in nature.
C: So never hold a monkey in Japan.
D: That's correct.
C: What is your favorite hobby?
D: I don't particularly have a hobby hobby. I like eating.
MA: I like painting and drawing...like rough easy drawings....sketching.
C: Wow! If you want, you can send some to the magazine and...
MA: I can sketch you something right now.
C: I'd love it!
MO: I love to research the ROLLING STONES.
(Everyone laughs)
B: I love dancing. That's my hobby. Dance!
C: But can you dance right now?
B: Uhhhhhh....Nooo!
C: Can you dance like Michael Jackson?
B: Even better than Michael.
C: That's good...that's VERY good...Ummm...What's your favorite ride at Disneyland?
D: None of us have ever been to Disneyland except for Bukka.
C: Not even Tokyo Disney? Awwww! You gotta go!
B: Uhhhhhhhhhh....Small World.
C: What do you think of American audiences compared to audiences in Japan?
D: I was completely surprised that everyone really liked us. Everyone was really crazy about us while we played. It was very unexpected for me. I've been kind of stunned by the whole thing.
(The band confers with each other and laugh a lot to themselves.)
D: (laughing) I don't know if you saw it, but there was this fairly old guy who was pretty tall wearing glasses. He was a totally uncle looking guy and he was going nuts.
C: OH! Was that the guy who was going like this? (Motions with hands)
D: Yeah. There was another guy with glasses who hugged me really tight on stage. Did you see that?
C: No, I didn't see that.
D: Yeah he just jumped on stage and hugged me.
C: Was it scary?
D: Not even! Not for me. Generally in Japan all these old guys wouldn't even listen to this kind of music, anyway. It's bizarre. Not in a bad way. It's fascinatingly strange for us to get this reaction from these guys particularly.
C: I think it's also all these different styles that you blend into your music that attracts a wide variety of people here.
D: Ahh! Thank you!
(Matta hands me two sheets of finished drawings. The translator translates them for me. You can see them yourself HERE.)
C: He has two different personalities.
(They laugh...way more than I expected.)
C: My last question...ummm...do you have any words of wisdom for the NO-FI "readers"?
MA: If you get a bug bite, like from a mosquito, put aloe on it right away. I mean it!
D: I just found out that if you have a terrible sore throat and if you give a massage to the two major muscles on your neck and put a steam towel around your neck. It really works.
B: To get a really good spaghetti, just cook it within six minutes and just drain the water after six minutes. That's the key! I had a really bad experience regarding spaghetti last time I was in Hollywood. It was over cooked.
C: Where did you go?
B: I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but it's an Italian chain restaurant on Hollywood Blvd.
(Some fans walk past the van shouting "ZOOBOMBS is number 1!")
C: There are some more old fans!
MO: I wish I could learn some wisdom from the readers.
C: We'll have the readers write to you.
MO: Yeah, please!
(We say our goodbyes and they continue their tour)
BOOM! - THE END
Special Thanks to Eizo, Steve & Emperor Norton Records, and our wonderful translator whose name I lost on a scrap of paper like the dork I am!
NO-FI "MAGAZINE"
