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The Bad Dudes music is like boning miniature giraffes. Like a household giraffe. Can’t you just hear them squeal with pleasure? They’re from Los Angeles and basically play metal. I always used to think the “prog” in prog rock referred to the playing of progressive notes and scales. If I still thought that, then the Bad Dudes would be prog-booze-Maths-metal. Dan plays guitar; Daniel, bass; Marty, keys; Brady, another guitar; Ben, drums with Yet To Be Determined Dude on vocals. They’ll have a record coming out early next year, and you can download songs from their website.
How often does your band celebrate special events together?
Marty: It’s hard enough to get us all in a practice space together, but occasionally we’ll party. Also, the last time we were in San Diego for recording, most of us went out to the movies together.
How often do you do something different to surprise your band members such as buy flowers, leave a love note, or buy a present for no special event? Give an example of one of these surprises.
Daniel: I bought Brady an awesome grey leather jacket at a garage sale while we were on tour in Portland. He wore it once and stunk it up and then left it crumpled in the RV.
Dan: We're not really thoughtful dudes. Sometimes when a bandmate is having a bad day, I will exercise restraint and and not dodey tap them. That's about the most magnanimous gesture I can do.
Do the band members use negative labels or call each other names (such as "dumb", "dependent", "arrhythmic", "selfish", "inconsiderate", “tone-deaf”) even when angry with each other?
Marty: Nah, but I think I’m beating myself up most of the time.
How often does your band argue about lyrical meaning? 1-4-5-chord structure? Groupie fondling? Over using the pentatonic minor scale? Jazziness?
Daniel: The only lyrics we’ve ever written were about sticking ecstasy up your butt, so there’s not much “meaning” to argue about.
Are you strongly attracted to your band mates, musically?
Dan: I am strongly attracted to my band mates....musically. I always say that the best people to collaborate with are dudes who can add parts to your idea that would never occur to you, yet are totally appropriate. I feel like that's what’s happening in Bad Dudes. That's why those records that some guy made at his home studio with him playing all the instruments always kind of suck, because it becomes conceptually incestuous, always pulling from that one frame of reference.
Do you think that your band is physically attractive to members of other bands?
Dan: I think some of us are. I'm probably one of the dudes who isn't.
Marty: I think codpieces could help.
How often do you fantasize about playing music with your band members? If so, what kind of music are you playing in these fantasies?
Daniel: About as often as I fantasize about making out with Jason Robards.
Marty: Now and again, I daydream that we’re covering Billy Joel.
Do you feel it’s OK to go solo for a weekend to be alone, think and work on sultry hooks?
Daniel: Definitely. A few sultry hookers can go a long way in stimulating new riffs.
Are your band members allowed to have close musical friends (of different bands) that they have frequent social contact with?
Dan: Yes. Unless those other bands secretly covet Bad Dudes.
Do you and your band mates enjoy playfully teasing each other several times per week? Does this teasing often lead to extended jam sessions?
Marty: That’s all we ever do. And yes, yes it does.
Do you frequently feel like the drummer is manipulating you?
Daniel: Naw, Ben’s agenda is totally transparent. The guy worships Tommy Lee and Izzy Stradlin, what more can I say? He just wants to play loud and fast, drink beer and start riots.
Are there certain tasks that your band feels are more the bass player’s responsibility, such as providing economic support, taking care of the car, etc…?
Marty: Um…Wanna buy a t-shirt?
Are there certain tasks that your band feels are more the lead singer’s responsibility, such as cleaning house, fixing meals, etc…?
Marty: Wanna buy a t-shirt?
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A sidebar about our original interview
with the Bad Dudes going poorly:
Do you guys like Fran anymore?
Marty: Sure I do. And your little cat too.
Have we been totally douchey?
Dan: Marginally douchey. But marginally douchey is like a mitzvah day for me. My whole life is an exploration in douchiness.
What happened with the last interview? It was like we were all mad at each other. Was it too high concept (8 people interviewing 3)?
Dan: I don't recall any anger. Was it too high concept? I don't know, I kind of liked the notion of a rapid fire battery of questions by informed probing journalists, y'know, like a press conference. But let's face facts, we didn't have that cool press conference table that Allen Iverson gets to bitch behind, and the journalists were pretty soused.
Marty: And I had just ran out of cigarettes, and the tater-tot supply had been depleted.
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