Band Interviews

American Music Press MAGAZINE # 36, July 2005, www.ampmagazine.com
PROFILE: CONCOMBRE ZOMBI

Name:
Mark

Position in the Band:
Vocals and Guitar

Hometown:
I’m originally from San Jose, California but now make my home in Austin, Texas.

CONCOMBRE ZOMBI sounds like:
I don’t think that we sound like anybody. If I have to sum it up, I’d describe it as heavy but soft, tight but loose, loud but quiet and in your face! Psycho Rock’n’Roll!

Our label, Hairball8 Records, is cool because:
Ryan Davis. He goes the extra mile for his bands and is always straightforward with you, no bullshit. I like that because you always know where you stand. Also, with the label being in San Antonio, it is great. It is only about 75 miles from Austin and we can get together and discuss things from time to time and not have to communicate only through emails and telephone calls. More personal and very cool.

Four CD's that are influencing you the most right now:
What’s in my player at the moment is Helmet “Meantime”, Gorilla “Too Much For Your Heart”, Supersuckers “La Mano Cornuda” and Jane’s Addiction ”Nothing’s Shocking”. That could all change tomorrow, know what I mean?

Best thing to do in the van is:
Sleep, talk and listen to music. Also, having it quiet is very cool as well. I mean, being in the van is your downtime. It’s like when you get home after working all day, relaxing on the couch with a beer, watching TV. It’s “your” time and I like to take advantage of that.

Worst driving incident involved:
Going to South Texas for our first show, Ralphy is from there so Destin and I drove down together to hook up with him. I missed a turn that would have got us to where we were supposed to be but instead, we ended up almost to the Gulf. To make a long story short, we made it to the gig on time and everything went great.

Austin has influenced our music in the sense that:
I don’t feel it has. I still write the same type of songs that I wrote when I lived in California. Yes, Austin is a great city for music and there is such a wide variety. That you can go out on any given night and see what ever style of music you want, it’s unbelievable! But to say that Austin has influenced Concombre Zombi, I don’t think so. Ralphy is the only native Texan in Concombre Zombi. The three of us as a whole make Concombre Zombi.

The kids these days are:
Very energetic and into the music. I can remember when there were very few people into psychobilly. Thanks to them our scene has exploded. Just remember the roots of it all!

Hands down best Psychobilly Festival is:
I would have to say the Big Rumble which used to be held in Great Yarmouth, England. It was a self-contained event; accommodations, venue, everything was in one location. I haven’t been to Calella or the Satanic Stomp or any of the other Festivals in Europe so I can’t really comment on those. From what I’ve heard from friends they are excellent as well. The New York Big Rumble was cool as was the Wreckers Ball. But I’ll never forget the Big Rumble in the UK.

DEMENTED ARE GO or TIGER ARMY:
Both are great bands. Two different styles and different sounds, both of which I enjoy.

Johnson or Bush (President, not orientation):
I don’t want to discuss politics. That’s for a different program.

When we’re not on tour we earn our living by:
Ralphy currently is a student and mechanic and Destin works by promoting local bands and working other jobs. I run a printing press at a commercial printing company.

Upcoming tours or releases:
Our debut full-length album “Daylight Comes” will be released in mid July and a western U.S. tour is in the planning stages as we speak. Also, we hope to hit the east coast and the rest of the country next year.

Favorite thing about playing shows:
The people and the energy. There is nothing like playing live. When the people are into the music, screaming along with us, and having a great time, it can’t be topped! We owe it all to them. Without their support we would still be playing at a rehearsal space with ourselves. When you get off stage after a gig the euphoria is so overwhelming that it takes hours to come down. I guess that’s why we like after parties!

Band that still gives me the chills when I see them live:
Led Zeppelin, on video of course!

Web info: www.concombrezombi.com

Interview with Concombre Zombi, www.HorrorPsycho.com, November 2003

SONIA:  You know Mark, the last time I talked to you was in Pomona at the Tiki Room…

MARK: Oh yes, the Tiki Room. I think that place sucked in everybody that was old enough to drink.They must have made a killing that day...

SONIA: Totally. I was a little too drunk to remember whatever we talked about… tell me, how the hell is everything deep in the heart of Texas?

MARK: Everything is great in Texas. I love living here. It is so much more laid back than California, at least where I am from...

RALPHY: Texas is the best at times and the worst at times, but I love it cause it's home.

SONIA:  When did this whole Texas psychobilly movement get going?

MARK: As far as the Texas psychobilly movement goes, I believe it has been here. It is just recently, though, that it has become more of a "scene" with many new bands forming. We have also had some great "psycho" bands come through the area this year and late last year, which is the first time since I've lived in Austin, all of 3 years that, I have seen something like that happen.

DESTIN: The enthusiasm for Psycho started throughout Texas about the same time that Concombre Zombi started playing out here… I think folks were just waiting for a reason.

RALPHY: Hmmm. There is no movement! I don't even like many psycho bands, but a few I really love. I prefer to think of us as band just trying to rock out in our own way, but that it is very obviously and deliberately influenced by the genre. I hate labels and talk of "movements". It sounds more like a digestive problem. Bands just pop up and pick a description based on who they like or somethin'.

SONIA: When I compare east and west coast psycho, I can hear a difference in sound and style. But Texas doesn’t go in either category! Do you think there’s a specific sound/style there? If so, how would you describe it?

MARK: I don’t think that there is a specific "psycho style" here. I mean, for me, when I write songs they just come out, but I am not really from here. I have my personal influences but I don’t consciously make an effort to sound a certain way, it just happens. I think people put too much emphasis on style and categorizing everything. I feel that if it rocks, then it rocks and if it sucks, it sucks.

RALPHY: It's like I said but, no matter what genre it is Texas will always make it's own "Texas-style" of whatever it is, and bands that share the same "label" will always have thier own way of portaying it. You get ragged if someone can acuse you of tryin' to be like someone else. Originality is very important here especailly in Austin. Hell, I'm the only native Texan in the band but I'm sure Destin will be better able to answer this one.

DESTIN:  I would say that, in the past, Texas did have it's own style with bands like Reverend Heat, Flametrick Subs, Matt Hole and his Hotrod Gang, Flamin' Hellcats, Luxurious Panthers and so on and so on....HELL, remember the Hickoids, too....they all had/have that Texas twang.... all great bands... but things are changing quick here, the psycho scene in Texas is taking two different directions...the greasers and gearheads (which is what the Texas psycho scene in the past has always been) are still into these bands but the newer kids, like in most scenes in the States, are wanting something a bit more punk or dark or metal or whatever......maybe a bit more of a Euro influence I guess, not sure......I would say that most of the scene here is listening to everything from Gorilla, Mad Sin, Nekromantix, Os Catalepticos, Cenobites, Battle Of Ninjamanz, Spiderz, DAG to Guana Batz, Quakes, Flintstones and the like.  As far as a new specific style to date, I would say that a category is up for grabs.....it's an outlaw State with traditional outlaw music so there are no rules here......never has been......it's TEXAS!

SONIA: How did you all meet each other?

MARK: Back in 2000, when I was in Hayride to Hell, we were playing at the New York Big Rumble. My wife and I had just moved to Texas that July. Anyway, while we were there she saw a guy wearing a jacket and on the jacket somewhere it said "Austin, Texas". The guy wearing the jacket turned out to be Destin. I never met him in New York but my wife found out that he played drums. It would be almost 2 years until I would actually meet Destin. We met at a show at Stubb’s here in Austin. I had no idea what he looked like but I saw this guy at the show with a fin on the top of his head and introduced myself and asked him if his name was Destin and sure enough it was. I told him that we should get together and play some music and that I already had about five songs written. After about a month we finally hooked up and started practicing. Unfortunately, the only bad part was that we had no upright player. We had no luck finding one, which I thought was strange, being that we are in Austin and musicians seem to be a dime a dozen around here. So, we ran an ad in the Chronicle, a local weekly, for an upright bass player interested in psychobilly and shortly after, someone replied. That someone was "Fuckin Ralphy Boy". Now our only dilemma was that he lived in South Texas, and we live in Central Texas. So Destin and I 4-tracked the songs and sent them to Ralphy. He learned them and came up to Austin a few weeks later. It was awesome, he knew the songs and we played 5 songs without ever rehearsing together until that day. Ralphy is a great musician and his bass playing completes the band. I love this guy!!!

RALPHY: I don't think any of the other people that called them could play.

DESTIN: When Ralphy called me and tried-out over the phone....he put the phone down and slapped the SHIT out of his bass, then picked up the phone and asked me if that was what we were looking for...I said "your damn right!"

SONIA: Who came up with the band name anyway?  It’s cool... sounds like some Italian horror flick.

MARK: Thanks.

RALPHY:  It's actually a flower whose poppy seeds produce a chemical that makes you dead for a few days or somethin'. Like the Serpent and the Rainbow. I think?

MARK: Actually, Destin’s fiancé came up with the name. She got it out of a book called "Faces in the Smoke: An Eyewitness Experience of Voodoo, Shamanism, Psychic Healing and other Amazing Human Powers". It is a really cool book. From what I've read on it, a Concombre Zombi is a potion that, when digested, makes one appear dead. No vital signs etc... but in reality they are very much alive but just can't respond to anything. They get buried alive and then before brain damage occurs, they are dug up by people called Bokors, brainwashed and turned into zombies. TRUE STORY!!! It must be, I read it by gawd! HAHA!!!

DESTIN:  It's a Haitian term meaning "Zombie Cucumber", the concoction that a so- called, voodoo witch doctor, gives to a person after they have been diagnosed as dead (by way of voodoo rituals) to revive them, leaving them almost brain dead, but able to "fetch" or take simple orders..a Zombie...true story.....I also look at it as a Zombie Hard-On......Zombi=Dead=STIFF=liked by the ladies.... Concombre=Cucumber=STIFF=liked by the ladies.....hehehe! Look the term up sometime, it has a pretty cool description if you are into voodoo.  Concombre Zombi is a great name, I think.  I just wish folks didn't have such a hard time spelling it correctly.

SONIA: When you first moved out to Austin, did you know you would start playing with another band, or did it just happen?

MARK: I wanted to start a new band at some point, but being new to the area it was hard. I didn’t know anybody and I was just trying to adjust to living in a new area. So I guess, yeah, it pretty much just happened.

DESTIN:  Just fell into place.....took long enough, too....I was almost going to play for a band that I really DIS-liked, just to kill time...that's why I started Graverockers Union Wreckords in the first place.  It's hard NOT to play in a band even if you have decided not to.  I love playing live shows and recording and traveling, all that stuff is fun to me, meeting new faces is the best as well.  Rock n Roll baby!

SONIA: How do you keep up with all the happenings there in Austin? Are you constantly checking out shows?

DESTIN:  We are COMPLETELY spoiled rotten here in Austin as far as shows!...... I moved here from Florida and was blown away right from the start.......great punk scene, great MUSIC scene period...whatever you are into....it's here!  I won't even go into the Austin punk history/icons that have kept this city alive and well......there are over 250 venues in Austin and most are within walking distance of each other..... check out the Red River district venues if ever in Austin.......no one person could ever keep up with the happenings going on here in Austin.....with such a large indy/underground film and music scene one would have to clone one's self a few times and possibly not have a job as well to experience all that Austin offers in one week.

MARK: I am pretty much a homebody. I don’t get out much as I actually live north of Austin. That drive home at 2:30 in the morning from a venue downtown is very crazy. Especially after drinking as much as I like to drink! Haha! And the cops where I live are fanatical about being cops. They’ll pull you over for nothing, especially late at night. I guess it’s a small town thing. The cops get bored. I will venture down there on occasion to check a band out that I really enjoy, but for the most part I just hang out at home with my wife. I also work nights, so going to weeknight shows is pretty much out of the question, unless we are playing. >;)

SONIA: Concombre Zombi should play under that bridge in Austin where all those bats come out by the thousands!  Ok, bad idea with guano and all.  But.. what are the best venues to play in Austin?

RALPHY: They are all pretty lame (to me) unless you sell out the place, then a back alley full of a couple hundred kids could be cool.  It's just like anywhere else but there are just soooo many places and bands, it's almost ridiculous.

MARK:  Actually, playing under the Congress Street bridge would be cool. Like on a flat bed boat or something with the anchor dropped and loads of beer and stuff. Those bats that fly out at sunset are fucking cool. Unfortunately they leave when it gets cold and fly back to Mexico. There are way too many venues for me to say what is best. I have, however, had a great time at some of the ones we have played. Emo's, Flamingo Cantina, Elysium, just to name a few. There are venues, it seems in Austin, for every kind of music. Pick your poison and chances are you will find a place to go see whatever you are in the mood for.

DESTIN:  SoCo bridge, that's cool you have heard of it.  A lot of folks don't know that we are bat-city, TX.  Everything in south/central Austin is Bat crazy (including a HUGE rotating commemorative City bat statue)....our hockey team is even called the Ice Bats for hell's sake.  One of our top in-Texas tourist attractions is the bat bridge.  The best venues are numerous, but I would say Flamingo Cantina, Emo's, Room 710, Red Eyed Fly, Stubb's, Elysium, Beerland.....all of which are within a block and half.  And those are just the ones I frequent, I haven't been to a lot of venues here though.  I guess I would say that Continental Club is pretty good or just famous within the world of Rockabilly, Honky Tonk and Western (only been there twice) with house bands like Dale Watson, Wayne Hancock, High Noon, Ronnie Dawson (r.i.p.), Casey Sisters and so on and so on, a rockabilly Haven.  Actually, as far as Rockabilly goes, there are a few venues here in Austin....Lonestar Lounge (I think it's called), Broken Spoke (biggest honky tonk/rockabilly show I've ever witnessed) and Ego's in the SoCo district is also a rockabilly spot... not really the places to go if your into punk though, pretty elite about their scene here.  BUT, we do have a Psycho bar called Cucaracha on 6th street, they play EVERYTHING on their jukebox with anything you could imagine..new and old...Mad Sin, GWC, Cenobites, Grave Stompers, STH, Klingonz, DAG even some Swampys...... hundreds of bands..... whatever you can think of while you are drunk and wanting to hear psycho at the pub, great hang out....definitely a strong supporter of the TX PSY scene, not the best place for shows, but they throw a few every so often...small place, but fun party!!!!  And Sunday is always PSYCHO ONLY on the jukebox.  Definitely a must for anyone visiting the area into psycho.  The bartender is Jasen, upright player for the Holler Bodies (he also had a zine called Welcome to the Nightmare based out of Santa Cruz), so he has plenty of stories....

SONIA: You’ve put out a 6-song CD demo called Buried Alive. Any plans for a full-length CD in the works?

MARK: Yes Ma'am! We are in the process of trying to all get together and start recording. It has been difficult as we all have "real" jobs. Hopefully, by the end of the year we should have a good chunk of it recorded. We have enough material now for almost 2 albums so it will be challenging to see what we all decide to actually record. I am really looking forward to it.

RALPHY: I'm probably holdin' the whole process up cause I don't live in Austin.

MARK: We have managed to record a Johnny Cash song "Flesh and Blood" to be released on a tribute to Johnny Cash album due out soon. There are some really cool bands on the comp and a very diverse mix, Hank III, Supersuckers, Social Distortion, Dale Watson, The Beverly Killbillies and many others. It should be great!

SONIA: Do you think you’d ever play a show with Hayride to Hell for old times sake?

MARK: Actually, when my wife and I went out to California to get married last year, I did play a couple of songs with the new Hayride lineup at a show at this place called the Cactus Club in San Jose, CA. The club was closing down and had an all dayer with a bunch of bands from the area that had played the club over the years. Joey and Rob had double duty and played with the Kingpins (of Star Search fame) that night as well. But yeah, I would love to play with those guys again if the time was right and they would have me! HAHA!! I love those guys!

DESTIN: We did some shows with Hayride To Hell this year when we were out on the West Coast for a short tour supporting the "buried alive" e.p.  I really like the new Hayride To Hell show and tunes...it would of been great to see Mark get up on stage and play a song during some of our shows we played together.... John Long has really got Hayride To Hell as tight as a duck's ass (and that's water tight!).

SONIA: Was May the last time you saw the guys?  Is it weird seeing them play without you up there?

MARK: Yep, May was the last time I saw them and it is weird seeing them play without me up there. But I think their new stuff is fucking great! I still talk to John Long quite a bit, though. We bullshit a lot on the phone and I keep telling him to get his/their asses out to Texas to do some rockin'. We've been out there so it's their turn to come out here, don't ya think?? >;) Yeah, hopefully, one day soon they will come out here and we can do a little tour with them around Texas and the surrounding states. That would be a fucking blast.

DESTIN:  Mark should of gotten his drunk ass up on the stage a couple of times.......by gawd!

SONIA: So how does Concombre Zombi divide up the song writing duties?  Who takes on the lyrics and music… or is it more of a collaboration?

MARK: For the most part, at least so far, I write most of the music and lyrics. What happens is, I will come up with a basic structure and lyrics so when Destin arrives he just adds a drum line and then we 4-track it to send to Ralphy. He learns them and when he comes up to practice we are pretty much ready to go. When we are all actually together, we fine tune the songs and make any changes that we feel would be best. I've never been in a band where we've done the process like this but it seems to work. Ralphy has written a song that we want to release on a 7-inch in the future.

RALPHY:  The 7" will be released sometime after the record comes out, hopefully. I just play bass and come with ideas and stuff to argue about. That's it for me.  I have other things goin' where I get to do all my writing and music and stuff but, it's cool to just show up and just play bass.

MARK: Destin has written lyrics to 3 songs and my wife has written a couple of tunes for us as well. But the majority of our songs I wrote myself while sitting in my garage after work, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes at the wee hours of the morning with my little 9-volt battery-powered Fernandes guitar with the speaker built into the body. How's that for a rambling sentence?

DESTIN: Mark seems to write the tunes in three's....hahaha. I have written lyrics for TX PSY, Haunted Heart and Intoxicated Perv Song.

SONIA: Are you going to see the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake? What’s your opinion about the fact that it was remade?

DESTIN: Of course!  Anyone that lives in Texas will see it.....it may actually be required viewing in grammar school here I would imagine....hehehe...No but, it has already been (pre)shown here in Austin at one of the local indy theatres....I had to work and couldn't go.  Looks cool as hell on the previews, not sure when it is actually being released......I don't pay that much attention to "things" going on......I'm all about remakes, might as well, whether they suck or not.... they are always entertaining.....but I am easily entertained when it comes to flix on the screen.....I'm a blockbuster sucker.  I can sit and watch some of the silliest "shit" on the tube or in the movie, "B"-rated is for "B"rainless and I love that....mostly 'cause I can relate more I guess, duh!

RALPHY: I will see it on TV someday but mostly all my favorite horror guys were dead before the original was made. I don't go to movies or get out much at all.

MARK: I will probably see it when it comes out on DVD. However, I am always skeptical when it comes to remakes or sequels or whatever you want to call them. Usually, in my opinion, the originals are the best.

SONIA: The Halloween show you guys are doing looks bad ass!  I think Christian of the Slanderin should be P. Paul Fenech for Halloween.  Haha What are you gonna be?

RALPHY: I never heard the slanders but, I'm gonna be Fuckin' Ralphy Boy, and by the time midnight comes around I'll be a plenty scary enough sight. I plan on really tryin' one on that night, but I guess that's the way we do it at every show. HELL YEAH! LET"S ROCK!!!

DESTIN: I may just go as myself...I mostly come across as scary enough behind those drums.....yeah the show is going to be great...we are selling advance tickets all over the States for this one...looks like a doozy!!

MARK: Yee fuckin haw!!! This show should be a blast, I can't wait. I don't know exactly what I will be but I will come up with something. I'm sure I will be plenty loaded so maybe my alter ego will come out and I can just go with it! Could be VERY SCARY!!!! Mwaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!! This show is being put on by the Texas Psychobilly Company, which is made up of Destin, Kelly, Ryan and Paige. Concombre Zombi is not a part of the company but we have a song called "TX PSY".

SONIA: So Destin, what about this TX PSY stuff?

DESTIN: As far as TX PSY (Texas Psycho), a few friends that live in Texas and frequent festivals started getting tattoos with the logo and we decided to print some shirts for ourselves to wear at festivals.  We were wearing the shirts around at Concombre Zombi shows and the scene basically demanded that we print another version for  them.......EVERYONE bought one and the first design is still selling (even to folks that don't live in Texas) which funded the site and a lot of other things that we have going (all proceeds go right back into TX PSY).  We have created a well organized scene here for Texas by printing shirts, patches, stickers, etc., in order to "represent"......... and hosting shows, distributing music, etc., which is bringing more people to shows just to see what this TX PSY scene is all about- which in turn makes the scene bigger and bigger.  Always a lot of enthusiasm at the shows that we host, you can always count on a proper "T--X--P-S-Y" chant from the crowds at shows.  The site is doing a lot of interviews and making new psycho releases available for purchase as well as reviews, just about everything you can imagine. TX PSY is also putting together a free printed zine/newsletter that will be distributed as far as we can get it, with printed versions of our interviews, information, mail order, reviews, etc., etc......on that note we are selling ads for CHEAP to pay for printing and postage, so look out for that.  Plus it's a bonus that 2 known Psycho oriented record labels are based out of Texas as well, Ryan Davis of TX PSY owns Hairball 8 records (formerly out of San Diego) and I own Graverockers Union Wreckords (which is on a vacation at the moment), so that also helped with creating a good situation for Texas......we are also starting a HUGE worldwide compilation as a "TX PSY company presents" kinda thing.  I think Psycho was just waiting to happen here, someone just had to put a band or two together and organize some events and what not.....just something for people to get out and support.....the scene is better than I ever thought it would be.....and just getting better. We recently hosted an event, that at certain moments during the night, capacity was at its limit for the venue.....we called it Blood Feast and it was the first all-Texas psycho "genre" event. People came out of the woodwork to support this and we are forever grateful.....I know that Concombre Zombi had a great set because I saw feet where a head should be out in the pit and as a drummer way in the back, FEET are a good indication that the crowd is going nuts and having a good time. Check out more info on the show or just browse through our situations at: http://www.texaspsychobilly.com . Well I need to feed my face.  You may now resume all disgusting behaviour.

MARK: Thanks for the interview Sonia, it was nice to see you again in Pomona. Your website rocks! We're looking forward to the Macabre Fest next year. For the latest news and info check out our website at www.concombrezombi.com  and "Always have your pets spayed or neutered."

CONCOMBRE ZOMBI..............BURIED ALIVE x4