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| OPERATION WARLOCK |
Band photograph courtesy of Bobby Hecksher
Heading backstage to meet Jason from The Warlocks is a memorable experience. I'm blasted by the song 'Rock N' Roll Booty'
by Finnish support act, Dead Combo and ushered into the smallest and most packed out dressing room in the world, by a burly,
pierced but ever-so-friendly Irish roadie. Jason Anchondo is one half of the drumming duo which helps to give The Warlocks
their twisted and impressive wall of sound. He jumps to his feet, finds me a place to sit on the crowded church pews that are
stacked in the dressing room and from the moment we meet, is extremely polite, courteous and funny.
"So do you write for a fanzine?!" he says, wide-eyed and full of enthusiasm. "I love fanzines! They're the best! But everything
now is all about 'magazines.' They're so boring.." By this initial statement, immediately Jason has won me over. Having played a
week long set of dates across the UK, the band are in London for one night only before they set sail (by ferry) to Amsterdam.
"The gigs so far have just been...well, they've just been..." he says rather cryptically. Oh dear, have the Brits not been very
kind or supportive on this tour? "Oh no, I just like to be vague. I like to say things like that." He smiles and adjusts his wide-
brimmed Boho hat that makes him look rather dapper. I ask him whether ferry is his favourite mode of transport. "It just works
out quicker that way. Otherwise it's a helluva drive like driving from LA to New York or something" (Band member JC interjects
at this point: "It's not that far!").
For those new to this band, The Warlocks gestated from the dark LA band circuit and count Brian Jonestown Massacre among
their contemporaries. Frontman Bobby Hecksher is a refugee from BJM and The Warlocks continue their mutual friendship with
them. "I have a radio show back home in LA. Me and my friend Anton (BJM) have a weekly show. It's funny as the guy who
runs the station buys us sh*tloads of beer and whisky and so most of the time we play songs and just fight in between." He
also tells me that The Raveonettes are booked to play when he returns. "Yeah, they're going to come down and do a set. It'll
be great," Jason says. "They're so down to earth. I love Sune, I love that band!"
Having a drummer as band spokesperson is an interesting premise. I ask him what he would say to the world if he was given a
platform for 15 seconds. "I would say, do the f*ck what you want, that's my message. Just go out and do things you want, you
know." I then ask him who was the last person he gave advice to. "It was actually a few people. You know who you are (he
says to my dictaphone) and you know what you have to do!" And in return, who was the last person to give him advice
recently? "Oh, our bass player Jenny. She gave me some good, friendly advice."
by Finnish support act, Dead Combo and ushered into the smallest and most packed out dressing room in the world, by a burly,
pierced but ever-so-friendly Irish roadie. Jason Anchondo is one half of the drumming duo which helps to give The Warlocks
their twisted and impressive wall of sound. He jumps to his feet, finds me a place to sit on the crowded church pews that are
stacked in the dressing room and from the moment we meet, is extremely polite, courteous and funny.
"So do you write for a fanzine?!" he says, wide-eyed and full of enthusiasm. "I love fanzines! They're the best! But everything
now is all about 'magazines.' They're so boring.." By this initial statement, immediately Jason has won me over. Having played a
week long set of dates across the UK, the band are in London for one night only before they set sail (by ferry) to Amsterdam.
"The gigs so far have just been...well, they've just been..." he says rather cryptically. Oh dear, have the Brits not been very
kind or supportive on this tour? "Oh no, I just like to be vague. I like to say things like that." He smiles and adjusts his wide-
brimmed Boho hat that makes him look rather dapper. I ask him whether ferry is his favourite mode of transport. "It just works
out quicker that way. Otherwise it's a helluva drive like driving from LA to New York or something" (Band member JC interjects
at this point: "It's not that far!").
For those new to this band, The Warlocks gestated from the dark LA band circuit and count Brian Jonestown Massacre among
their contemporaries. Frontman Bobby Hecksher is a refugee from BJM and The Warlocks continue their mutual friendship with
them. "I have a radio show back home in LA. Me and my friend Anton (BJM) have a weekly show. It's funny as the guy who
runs the station buys us sh*tloads of beer and whisky and so most of the time we play songs and just fight in between." He
also tells me that The Raveonettes are booked to play when he returns. "Yeah, they're going to come down and do a set. It'll
be great," Jason says. "They're so down to earth. I love Sune, I love that band!"
Having a drummer as band spokesperson is an interesting premise. I ask him what he would say to the world if he was given a
platform for 15 seconds. "I would say, do the f*ck what you want, that's my message. Just go out and do things you want, you
know." I then ask him who was the last person he gave advice to. "It was actually a few people. You know who you are (he
says to my dictaphone) and you know what you have to do!" And in return, who was the last person to give him advice
recently? "Oh, our bass player Jenny. She gave me some good, friendly advice."
Top of the evening to you: Jason and Bobby
Drummer Bob and Corey
Being on tour as part of a 7 band line-up must certainly feel like being on a massive year long school trip with your friends but
surely can also get a bit too much at times. I ask Jason how he gets his alone time. "We understand each other and give each
other time and space for our heads." At this point, we are joined by Jason's drumming amigo, Bob. In the midst of grunting men
drinking beer and a disorientated Asian girl called Dee trying to conduct an interview, Bob sits comfortably and gazes at us all
serenely. It's as if Buddha himself has come down to see The Warlocks play. He slowly nods his head in acknowledgment when
Jason introduces us.
I pose my first and only question to Bob. I ask him what he would think if he met himself in a bar. "I don't know how to answer
that," is the immediate and only reply. He then flashes me a bemused look. I get the feeling Bob doesn?t like me much. Luckily,
Jason steps in to save the day. "I can answer that! What would Bob think of himself?! He'd be like, 'I've just met the most
intelligent man ever and he told me lots of mathematical theories.' Bob is sooo deep." I look over at Bob. No reaction. Oh dear.
Moving swiftly on, I ask Jason if he was in the bar where Bob reluctantly met himself, which Warlock would be busting out the
most impressive moves on the dancefloor? He laughs. "Oh definitely me! I like to shoot some moves!" We then start discussing
his DJ show in LA. "One song I always love to play is 'Supermodels' by Denim (obscure English band who were around
mid-90s)." I sing an impromptu, off-key rendition of the chorus to which it is now Jason's turn to look bemused. He then turns
to Rob from SSS and says, "Did anyone ever tell you, you look like Norman Blake form Teenage Fan Club? I met him a while
back through one of my friends. He's such a nice, cool guy." Jason's music appreciation of underrated UK bands is certainly
impressive. We begin to talk about All Tomorrow's Parties ("Yo La Tengo host them in LA. I haven't been yet but would love to
go,") and musicians he would like to jam with ("my friend Spike plays guitar in a real ethereal sounding band. It would be fun to
play with him").
Because of Jason's contagious good nature, I ask him a question which could otherwise be misplaced by another non-receptive
interviewee. I ask him if he could send a message to someone who is beyond the grave, what would he send and to whom. His
temperament immediately becomes reflective. "I would tell my grandad that I love him," he says. Not one to end the interview
on a low note, I ask him to name a body part he could do without (how's that for flippancy?). "Nothing, I like everything!" he
says. "Well, actually I don?t like having facial hair. That's a bummer." Guitarist JC remarks that he could do without his "shy"
toes. Why are they shy? "They kinda bend away and are curled up," he says. I ask him how he'll help his toes combat their
anxiety. "Oh that's not for me," he says. "That's for the ladies to help with!" he says with a wink.
JC is a cheeky chappy who is an entertaining personality. He is also one of the few people I have ever met that asks as many
questions and talks as much as me. I have certainly met my match in this Warlock. After the show, he asks me whether I found
the music dark, sexy or dark and sexy. Definitely the latter I agree. This is what impresses me even more about the band; they
are willing to be honest and open in interviews but are also passionate about what they do and seek genuine feedback. For a
band with critical acclaim and a reputation most new bands would sacrifice themselves for, this is truly inspiring to hear.
So what is the most rock n' roll thing he's ever done? "Cliched or for real?" he asks. I suggest he answers both. "Cliched:
throwing a TV out of a hotel window on tour and for real; I had a party and invited 12 friends over. I live on a hill in Hollywood.
We all had a massive orgy." Good lord. Hardly the Little House On The Prairie good middle America I was imagining.
Post-gig and the band are buzzing at their aftershow party. This is memorable not only for the free bar but for the intriguing
conversations. I tell guitarist Corey that I enjoyed his mesmerising performance and somehow we digress into a heated
political discussion. Corey is deeply upset about our current state of affairs and encourages me to write about it. "We're all
f*cked," he announces. "Look around this bar, how many people are having our conversation? We have to do something about
this. We're all so f*cked." As depressing and curious as this may sound, it is often these random, half-concious conversations
that mean the most. They drive you on self-consciously and inject your peaceful sleep with mild pangs of disturbance. Who
would have thought that a conversation with a Warlock would leave such a lasting impression but it did.
From ferries to freestyle dancing to inhibited body parts, life is certainly very interesting in the Warlock household. However it is
their fundamental passion for music, art, experience and politics which gives these musicians massive purpose and obsolete
pretension. Stop looking for saviours of our distilled music scene. These underrated heroes are out there playing right here,
right now. Please, please give them a worthy listen.
'Surgery' is out now on Mute Records.
For more info: www.thewarlocks.com
Dee Sekar
surely can also get a bit too much at times. I ask Jason how he gets his alone time. "We understand each other and give each
other time and space for our heads." At this point, we are joined by Jason's drumming amigo, Bob. In the midst of grunting men
drinking beer and a disorientated Asian girl called Dee trying to conduct an interview, Bob sits comfortably and gazes at us all
serenely. It's as if Buddha himself has come down to see The Warlocks play. He slowly nods his head in acknowledgment when
Jason introduces us.
I pose my first and only question to Bob. I ask him what he would think if he met himself in a bar. "I don't know how to answer
that," is the immediate and only reply. He then flashes me a bemused look. I get the feeling Bob doesn?t like me much. Luckily,
Jason steps in to save the day. "I can answer that! What would Bob think of himself?! He'd be like, 'I've just met the most
intelligent man ever and he told me lots of mathematical theories.' Bob is sooo deep." I look over at Bob. No reaction. Oh dear.
Moving swiftly on, I ask Jason if he was in the bar where Bob reluctantly met himself, which Warlock would be busting out the
most impressive moves on the dancefloor? He laughs. "Oh definitely me! I like to shoot some moves!" We then start discussing
his DJ show in LA. "One song I always love to play is 'Supermodels' by Denim (obscure English band who were around
mid-90s)." I sing an impromptu, off-key rendition of the chorus to which it is now Jason's turn to look bemused. He then turns
to Rob from SSS and says, "Did anyone ever tell you, you look like Norman Blake form Teenage Fan Club? I met him a while
back through one of my friends. He's such a nice, cool guy." Jason's music appreciation of underrated UK bands is certainly
impressive. We begin to talk about All Tomorrow's Parties ("Yo La Tengo host them in LA. I haven't been yet but would love to
go,") and musicians he would like to jam with ("my friend Spike plays guitar in a real ethereal sounding band. It would be fun to
play with him").
Because of Jason's contagious good nature, I ask him a question which could otherwise be misplaced by another non-receptive
interviewee. I ask him if he could send a message to someone who is beyond the grave, what would he send and to whom. His
temperament immediately becomes reflective. "I would tell my grandad that I love him," he says. Not one to end the interview
on a low note, I ask him to name a body part he could do without (how's that for flippancy?). "Nothing, I like everything!" he
says. "Well, actually I don?t like having facial hair. That's a bummer." Guitarist JC remarks that he could do without his "shy"
toes. Why are they shy? "They kinda bend away and are curled up," he says. I ask him how he'll help his toes combat their
anxiety. "Oh that's not for me," he says. "That's for the ladies to help with!" he says with a wink.
JC is a cheeky chappy who is an entertaining personality. He is also one of the few people I have ever met that asks as many
questions and talks as much as me. I have certainly met my match in this Warlock. After the show, he asks me whether I found
the music dark, sexy or dark and sexy. Definitely the latter I agree. This is what impresses me even more about the band; they
are willing to be honest and open in interviews but are also passionate about what they do and seek genuine feedback. For a
band with critical acclaim and a reputation most new bands would sacrifice themselves for, this is truly inspiring to hear.
So what is the most rock n' roll thing he's ever done? "Cliched or for real?" he asks. I suggest he answers both. "Cliched:
throwing a TV out of a hotel window on tour and for real; I had a party and invited 12 friends over. I live on a hill in Hollywood.
We all had a massive orgy." Good lord. Hardly the Little House On The Prairie good middle America I was imagining.
Post-gig and the band are buzzing at their aftershow party. This is memorable not only for the free bar but for the intriguing
conversations. I tell guitarist Corey that I enjoyed his mesmerising performance and somehow we digress into a heated
political discussion. Corey is deeply upset about our current state of affairs and encourages me to write about it. "We're all
f*cked," he announces. "Look around this bar, how many people are having our conversation? We have to do something about
this. We're all so f*cked." As depressing and curious as this may sound, it is often these random, half-concious conversations
that mean the most. They drive you on self-consciously and inject your peaceful sleep with mild pangs of disturbance. Who
would have thought that a conversation with a Warlock would leave such a lasting impression but it did.
From ferries to freestyle dancing to inhibited body parts, life is certainly very interesting in the Warlock household. However it is
their fundamental passion for music, art, experience and politics which gives these musicians massive purpose and obsolete
pretension. Stop looking for saviours of our distilled music scene. These underrated heroes are out there playing right here,
right now. Please, please give them a worthy listen.
'Surgery' is out now on Mute Records.
For more info: www.thewarlocks.com
Dee Sekar
JC and Dee
Nice legs, Jen
Rob and JC
The talkative Warlock: JC
Bobby appears in smoke..
Corey
Corey
Jenny
| 'SURGERY' REVIEW: |
I've found this album incredibly hard to review. The reason being, I just can't stop listening to the first 2 songs. Towards the
feedback ending of second song, 'It's Just Like Surgery,' my eager finger presses the track button back twice and astounding
album opener, 'Come Save Us' blares out triumphantly?AGAIN.
For the purposes of this review, I restrain my finger by placing it into a suitably designed strait-jacket, and thus I finally get to
hear the fabulous 'Gypsy Nightmare' which is track 3. But wait..before I move on I think it's time to temporarily let finger out of
strait-jacket and discuss the first two tracks in the glory in which they deserve to be praised.
Now comparisons have been made repeatedly and repeatedly (music journos take one idea/notion and just go with it..again
and again..did I mention I have a finger strait-jacket and adore the first 2 songs on this album?!) with The Velvet Underground,
Grateful Dead, Jesus and Mary Chain and so forth. However 'Surgery' definitely proves that there is a hell of a lot more to The
Warlocks' sound. I hear vocals and melodies reminiscent of lo-fi ethereal bands such as Madder Rose and Mazzy Star. The
thought of Hope Sandoval covering 'Come Save Us' absolutely blows my mind. So does the thought of Bobby Hecksher singing
Mazzy's 'Ghost On The Highway.' Wow, what a perfectly formed world that would be. Hecksher sings about obsessive love in
'Just Like Surgery' in a quirky, twisted and unusually charming way: 'You operate like no one else I know.' This song is a terrific
example of US music at its most unique and best. Forget QOSA/Green Day and the other 2 million 'rock' acts private-jetting their
way round these parts, The Warlocks create songs that rock, pop and you just don't want them to stop.
After this explosive start, the band slip back and drown the ether with an ambient fortress of noise in 'Angels in Heaven, Angels
in Hell' and self-destructive 'Suicide Note.' For me, listening to songs conjures up thoughts about experiences, books and films
to which music serves as a wonderful soundtrack. However in my mind, 'Surgery' performs admirably as a fitting soundtrack to
the nuances of the theatre of the absurd. What are this band's intentions? What have they found and what are they searching
for? Bleak characters Estragon and Vladimir in Beckett's surreal and frustrating 'Waiting For Godot,' would surely have passed
their dwindling time more suitably and purposefully if they'd been listening to The Warlocks.
From the contradictory message this band radiates ('come save us?from ourselves'), the band deliver their thoughts and
assumptions but it seems like it is only we, the listener, who can offer the band any real hope. Passing characters in 'Godot,'
Lucky and Pozzo give Estragon and Vladimir splashes of hope and manage to move on themselves albeit in a frantic, histrionic
way. Similarly, we can give this band our time, but ultimately The Warlocks remain in their fascinatingly peculiar states and gaze
confusingly at our real world before they take a leap back into their artistic, debauched bubble and create infectious musical
perfection. While the band are still waiting for Godot, make sure you gain a copy of 'Surgery' and give them a damn good
chance to find him.
Dee Sekar
feedback ending of second song, 'It's Just Like Surgery,' my eager finger presses the track button back twice and astounding
album opener, 'Come Save Us' blares out triumphantly?AGAIN.
For the purposes of this review, I restrain my finger by placing it into a suitably designed strait-jacket, and thus I finally get to
hear the fabulous 'Gypsy Nightmare' which is track 3. But wait..before I move on I think it's time to temporarily let finger out of
strait-jacket and discuss the first two tracks in the glory in which they deserve to be praised.
Now comparisons have been made repeatedly and repeatedly (music journos take one idea/notion and just go with it..again
and again..did I mention I have a finger strait-jacket and adore the first 2 songs on this album?!) with The Velvet Underground,
Grateful Dead, Jesus and Mary Chain and so forth. However 'Surgery' definitely proves that there is a hell of a lot more to The
Warlocks' sound. I hear vocals and melodies reminiscent of lo-fi ethereal bands such as Madder Rose and Mazzy Star. The
thought of Hope Sandoval covering 'Come Save Us' absolutely blows my mind. So does the thought of Bobby Hecksher singing
Mazzy's 'Ghost On The Highway.' Wow, what a perfectly formed world that would be. Hecksher sings about obsessive love in
'Just Like Surgery' in a quirky, twisted and unusually charming way: 'You operate like no one else I know.' This song is a terrific
example of US music at its most unique and best. Forget QOSA/Green Day and the other 2 million 'rock' acts private-jetting their
way round these parts, The Warlocks create songs that rock, pop and you just don't want them to stop.
After this explosive start, the band slip back and drown the ether with an ambient fortress of noise in 'Angels in Heaven, Angels
in Hell' and self-destructive 'Suicide Note.' For me, listening to songs conjures up thoughts about experiences, books and films
to which music serves as a wonderful soundtrack. However in my mind, 'Surgery' performs admirably as a fitting soundtrack to
the nuances of the theatre of the absurd. What are this band's intentions? What have they found and what are they searching
for? Bleak characters Estragon and Vladimir in Beckett's surreal and frustrating 'Waiting For Godot,' would surely have passed
their dwindling time more suitably and purposefully if they'd been listening to The Warlocks.
From the contradictory message this band radiates ('come save us?from ourselves'), the band deliver their thoughts and
assumptions but it seems like it is only we, the listener, who can offer the band any real hope. Passing characters in 'Godot,'
Lucky and Pozzo give Estragon and Vladimir splashes of hope and manage to move on themselves albeit in a frantic, histrionic
way. Similarly, we can give this band our time, but ultimately The Warlocks remain in their fascinatingly peculiar states and gaze
confusingly at our real world before they take a leap back into their artistic, debauched bubble and create infectious musical
perfection. While the band are still waiting for Godot, make sure you gain a copy of 'Surgery' and give them a damn good
chance to find him.
Dee Sekar
| All images, words, site design Copyright © Soma Soma Scene 2005 unless otherwise stated All Rights Reserved |
| OPERATION WARLOCK |