Flesheaters
interview
from Flipside Magazine, circa 1981
The Flesheaters have been in existance since 1977, but with constand member changes they were often considered a side or experimental band for the flexible members, and also a chance for Chris D. to have his lyrics and ideas recorded and performed. Chris D. is well known for his cat like voice so out of curiousity i asked him if he was a cat person, he reluctantly stated that he wasn't, but he had seen the movie "Cat People" 8 times. The Flesheaters were interviewed in their studio by Carol, Maw and also present was Lesa.
Chris: We were trying to think of a name a long time ago and there were a lot of different names I came up with. One of the names was Screaming Target, which was from a reggae album, which I really wanted to use but everyone else that was playing with me hated it. One of the second choices was Flesheaters. Everyone seemed to like that so we just went with that. Things that people had read about the band have been with the name Flesheaters, it didnt seem wise to change the name. I dont love the name, but it's ok.
Carol: The first album, lyric wise, boardered along the morbid.
Chris: The "No Questions Asked" album, the name Flesheaters had a real reputation with a lot of the, it seemed to me, a lot of the beach punks and skinhead kids, with that album it was a real reputation we had.But when they came to see us with the new line up, with the guys from the Blasters, I got a real sense of dissapointmnet, because we weren't a real hardcore, slam, thrasher type of band. "No Questions Asked" was more like that in a way. It was more simple.
Robyn: Lyrics on the 1st album, I don't think there was a real connection with satanism.
Carol: Are you afraid to die or does it just intrigue you?
Chris: Um, yes, it's...
Carol: How would you like to die, if you could?
Chris: If I could! (Laughs) We're immortal!
Robyn: Some kind of sacrificial death, offer ourselves to our audience.
Don: You'd better not say that Robyn.
Eddie: Is there a certain message you want to convey to your audience?
Don: Happiness, good times...
Robyn: In these times of depression, we remind people of them.
Wally: Life, that's another matter.
Chris: The one thing that we do that mystifies our audience is we don't play in one category. The music we play is real loud. It's real metalic. It could be described as heavy metal, or what was in 1977 punk. We're not like a slam type of thrasher band... There's a lot of country western influences in it, a lot of music just sounds like heavy metal, but a lot of melodies.
Robyn: For me there's a big difference in what I like to listen to and what I like to play. What we play is nothing like I've ever played before. In this band it's like something is coming through the air and we sort of catch it.
Chris: And it's real intuitive. We have a real intuitive bond between us... There's a lot of influence there, but it doesn't sound like we're trying to bereal dilettantes.
Carol: Do you think that that attitude comes with the fact that you are older than some bands that are coming out now?
Chris: I don't want to get into ageism, but i know we listen to a lot more different music than some of the kids that got bands now.
Don: We're influenced by a lot mor different kinds of music than the average band you're refering to because we have been around a lot longer.
