BIG BOYS "very very big boys”
jhonny contencioso
(Interview Tim Kerr)
- You and Chris Gates got the first idea to do the Big Boys 20 years ago … Now the Big boys are still fresh , explosive and inspiring for new and old people … after 20 years do you have an opinion on the relevance of big boys today
well its been more like 26/27 years (smile).Any sort of self expression
is in the eye and ears of the recipient as to the relevance for them.
You would have to be sort of vain to think what you are doing would be
relevant to others (smile).I am honored and humbled when someone has been
'touched' by something i was part of. I cant speak for the others but
for me ... i can only be true to myself when it comes to self expression
... which to me is living life.....
....
- 26 years?!How old were you when you started and how old
are you now?....
....
I have been playing guitar since elementary school. Big Boys started in
78 when I got out of college. I think i was around 22/23? i will be 49
on march 11 this year (smile)....
....
- I saw some amazing show posters of the Big Boys …
shows with Dead Kennedys , The Dicks , Minor Threat ,Black flag , Bad
Brains , Descendents … (bands that have their own history parallel
to yours) , what do you remember of these shows/days?
There..s any show you have a special feeling about it?....
I would not know where to start but the important thing is that what made those times special is timeless and is going on right now.There are bands/shows/people that are doing things right now that have the same spirit of those times and if you spend your time Looking behind you , you will miss what is right in front of you.....
- Oh yes!! I know that … there are lots of present
bands that I like a lot and I know there are some in 20 years will be
classics … It..s a very.... Tipical attitude in music to thing old
music is better only because it..s old , what bands of the present do
you like?....
.. ..I like the Fatal Flying guilotines alot! Also This Bike Is A Pipebomb
, the Dexateens,The Attack Formation, ... the Wives are pretty cool ,
the butchers orchestra ... there are lots ........
....
- What projects do you have with the studio?....
....
Sweatbox is not my studio ... I mean i do not own it ... I just do most
of the stuff I do out of there. Its a great place run by great people.
I am getting ready to help Das Boot from japan. Total sound is going to
try and record in april... then i go to
-I read Red hot chilli peppers opened for you no? yay!...
yep ..... they even did a 'big Boy' rap.When they first started , they were more james brown than funkadelic (smile)....
- During your band history you were a solid trio ,Randy Turner , Chris Gates and you , but you did had a misfourtune with drummers no?....
yes (smile) It was'nt out of arguments or fights ... it was just they
left because they had other goals in their lives and they wouldnt be able
to spend time in the band...getting good jobs/school /etc were the reasons.....
- Rey washman was you last drummer no? I have curiosity of where is he playing now , do you know something?
yes rey was our last drummer and i dont know what he is doing now. he does live in ....austin.... again but i dont really ever see him.
- Big boys delved into funk on second record . What prompted these excursions? Don..t you think that Big Boys are more remember by these excursions that because of the more hardcore punk songs?..
we were doing that all along. In texas punk/hardcore meant play what you
want/like and soul and funk were a big part of our listening habbits (smile)
From what i gather , people remember us most because of the diversity
of the music and mostly the shows.....
- Yes , the shows! I never saw images or anything , aren..t
you into doing something like a video or dvd about the big boys? Would
be a great thing.......
There are videos of most everything i have been involved
in but there are no plans to put anything out.…....
....
- Your guitar style was (and is) very particular , I heard
funk influences , but also influences of post punk bands like Gang of
four , Pop group , Pil .... or others like minutemen? Were you influenced
by all these English punk bands?...
yep (smile) but i had also been playing acoustic all my
life in tunings other than standard and was drawn to that sound of chords
as well. The minutemen were great!
-About Minutemen they were probably the band from the States more in common with you in that time no?....
they were in common with us because of attitude more than style.....
-What band do you thing was in common with you musically
in that moment?....
.. ..there were bands that were similar in attitude but i cant think of
any mixing funk/soul the way we did with hardcore.There were certainly
bands playing funky (smile) the tar babbies were a great band.Black randy
and the metro squad but they were before us (i think)....
....
-Why disbanded the big boys?....
things change (smile)....
-What..s about the other members of the big Boys , are they playing in bands?....
chris is playing in a band here called the charter bulldogs that are alot like junkyard, biscuit is doing some art, and i know that rey is playing but i dont know who with.....
....
> I saw your paintings in the web and I like they a lot!
…. I can see you have a big interest in soul (also listening to
monkeywrenck), jazz … and black music/ jazz aesthetic in general
… (>>> I..m very into reggae ;) (rock steady , dub…)
!!)....
....
thats cool (smile) I am into that as well ... mostly old ska/rock steady
-/ Your musical activity have ever been frenetic , you have play in lots
of bands ,and all bands of quality … Also after 20 years you are
still doing urgent and raw bands like Total Sound Group … , you
don..t feel that since you are older and madure you have to do something
more “adulterated”?....
the older i get ,the more that i realize that all sound is valid and just by hearing sound ... you are hearing music/life! My self expression is my life and it incorporates all the 5 senses as much as it can (smile)....
.. ..> well , you are very active citizen , playing in
some bands (exactly total sound and monkeywrench or more?) , doing lots
of paitings , the studio … you have very much talent and for sure
you have a big idea to save the world , tell me…....
....
im not sure about saving the world (big smile).... i just walk my walk
in a hopefullypositive way and if people get something from it then i
am honored and humbled.....
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::