64 MCLA The Lax Mag February ‘09 and the whole band is from Maryland, which which Maryland, from is band whole the and summer. for the rest of skating up pick and interest loose ah, me, make to enough was once beamed Getting is kind of what got me out of the whole scene. should always play with an athletic cup. That you that know I that than other and lacrosse playground just was It team. school high a NF: game? the about know you do what and play ery ev- you Did spot. hot lacrosse big pretty a is AO: NF: AO: NF: AO: road trips and of course, facial hair. Neil Fallon of veteran rockers, Clutch, talks lacrosse, magic happens. or are you just going to wing it? Yeah. I’m just going to wing it, that’s when the

You instructions or preamble any need Are you ready for this thing? I played a bit in high school but not on not but school high in bit a played I Allright, first question. You grew up in, clothes which is not a sequin a not is which clothes try to do a couple vocal warm- vocal couple a do to try Iday. the during wear to like from the night before that I don’t jacket, it’s just the stinky clothes NF: rituals? show,anya Before time”. “game for ready AO: the Celtics last year. fan of the band, Scott Pollard. He played for basketball player for the Kings that was a big our song “The Mob Goes Wild.” oles that walked out to the mound last year NF: your music in that way? athletes that are inspired by your music or use any of example any have you Do music. up are inspired by music, pre-game, get pumped AO: There is a pitcher of the Baltimore Ori- Baltimore the of pitcher a is There Sticking with the sports theme. Athletes sic it m stage my into switch I Is there anything that you do to get you There was a to to AO warmed up. being of state a in constantly is he think I so ing up. Jean-Paul, he plays the drums all day, good deal of time playing their guitars warm- a spent Timand for.Dan out eye an keep to need we that set-list the on surprises any kindapre-gamethedo thereheads ifareup and together get will we show,sometimes back stage. ly hitting his pads constant- is Paul list individually each night, 10-min before the you guys, Jean- guys, you with spent have I as a whole, since we all write a different set- the pants that one needs. As far as the band in kick the is usually them. That impress to bunch of people staring at you waiting for you line rush when you realize there are a whole adrena- immediate an is there stage on out reallyinto it,buttimes 9 outof10when go I aren’t you like feel you sometimes Because couple jumping jacks, but it’s very half-assed. bit goofy. Then if I’m feeling tired I might do a little it’s a because me, hear possibly could that anyone from away far as exercises up : ...más Vamanos Vamanos Te ie that time The When I ask someone if they if someone ask I When are. you who know they fore be- music your know people to do, music first, image second? Or did it just yea I know that song.’ Is that what you set out ‘oh say they song, particular a know they if ask I if But no. know AO: sleep. deprivation will put you right to look ridiculous but the sensory plugs ear and pillows neck little those of one and patch eye shade night the plane, a on I’m when sometimes it, do to courage the up work to thansleep. tookwhileItame nothing fights boredom better but books, PSPs, iphones, in the age we are now with things likes ipods, NF: on the bus? boredom fighting for tips any have you Do games. away to bus MCLAby the travel in AO: before was a bit over-indulgent. ercises once in a while especially if the night ex- stretching some do I’ll on. later kit the up And he’lldothatinthemorningandthenset next to me and I’ll hear his metronome going. NF: on the bus or in hotel and he’ll be in the room happen like that? AO: did together. I cold called you guys to do this DVD? NF: AO: I think we are pretty fortunate to be living And that’s also first thing in the morning Youbus. the mentioned A teams of lot It seems like a lot of lot a like seems It Clutch, they usually say to give a damn. Did you think I was a super fan boy when NF: ject to trends. Honestly, we’re too lazy Word. Word up. think that is pretty shallow and sub- and shallow pretty is that think too terribly concerned with image. with concerned terribly too supposed to represent, because I because represent, to supposed posed to what the band is physically cool cool in an artistic creative way as op So, I want to plug this DVD that we dom. Image, I think is much more much is think I Image, dom. the in labels big on were we When suffer from the burden of super star- all it do to had I if Hind-sight, you. have what or record the in photo 90s they always pushed to have our walk down the street. Not that we that Not street. the down walk us make even would I again, over more anonymous. I thought the thought I anonymous. more way Pink Floyd and ToolFloyd Pink way it played but it would be easy for them to them for easy be would it but anymore, Floyd Pink not maybe was cool. Any of those dudes, well I think we’ve never really been really never we’ve think I - brother is either a video director or a record record a or director video a either is brother about the digital age is that everybody and his ed, because of one of the not so great things boy? No, not really. I think we were a bit jad- NF: NF: different from about, and how do you keep the Bakerton Group. How and why did that come name the under but guys four same the this other band, who is really the same band, jump back and started laughing. So you have a took he market the in him beside up rolled I When camera. the with him following been had I and Juice super Odwalla of kind some for market super the to headed was He ing. ceil- the through go to going was he thought AO: like a purse or something. You were pretty good at carrying the camera situations. financial secret top about talking brokers stock like was it sudden a of all era and as soon someone walked in with a cam- crackin’up be would Everybody it. to used get to time long real a us took it and camera sure you noticed that we aren’t hams with the I’m experience. learning show.a also was It the like was it where band, the of sentation repre- honest really a is it think I but stuff, to fly the on adapt to have you videos most that sure I’m and conditions best the always NF: AO: NF: AO: talking about so we were cool with it. we realized you actually knew what you were then but it, to up warm to while a us took it So up. follow no and talk of lot a with past theproducer. in experiences some Wehad cause it’s all very nebulous. very all it’s cause Yea I’m stoked. Knowing that it was not Yea. Ha. Ha. Did we think you were a super fan super a were you think we Did Ha. There is no cut and dry answer, be- answer, dry and cut no is There Are you happy with it? So you were fooled. I snuck up on Dan one time and I and time one Dan on up snuck I The Bakerton Group sound? The Bakerton The Clutch sound The wing it? you do or way certain a sound record new a it make to planning out start you Do up. it change you that like I in. mixed blues some little 90s metal, some southern rock, and then hard-core, metal, punk sound to it, and then a been very dynamic, you started out with a little now,years 16-17 the and AO: stone. approaches by trying to kill two birds with one but we don’t want to completely dilute the two rock song but it’s also fun to do other things, a write to how Weknow differentways. two for it. It’s a good way to exercise ourselves in to it. I really don’t know until I write the words sound friendly vocal that have they because be would knew I that aside set I riffsthat some through going I’m and cord next the writing of process the in Tim’s guitar sound is cleaner. We are getting distorted, as it’snot Sonically arrangement. rock-n-roll traditional the to restricted as not years. Is that the way it was? you had been doing it already for close to ten I thought that was a little hard to believe since career out of music until about the year 2000. didn’t figure out that you were going to makea really you that said you had, we versation AO: knew what we were getting into. we were friends first that helped out a lot. We sense of humor about it and I also think since cause of something trivial. We all have a good and it would be foolish to poison the well, be- down the road. We’ve got a good thing going know that’s going to be water under the bridge isn’t getting along with another guy, but we all somebody when time of stretch a be might other like a family, sure we fight and sure there each like really all we brothers, like lot It’sa NF: check? Do you really like each other? instuff that keep guys you do how control, creative or ego of because dismember that er, very democratic. There are so many bands have always seem very friendly with each oth AO: know is already proven. what we are doing than do something that we fine, but I’d rather do that and be honest about that’sout, bummed get people some means ter year; I think it would be depressing. If that trying to do the same thing year after year af- change because of the people. I can’t image to going is that and collective are we and change, people years 17 Over lyric. of type certain a write or riff of type certain a write to expect. Personally, I don’t say I’m going to fun part of writing music. You don’t know what NF: songs are more jammy and maybe and jammy more are songs Group [Laughing] Yea we really like each other. All the time I’ve spent with you guys you You guys have been around for around Kind of along those lines, during a con- We completely wing it. I think that is the sound has sound Clutch riffs,Clutch re- Clutch - 65 MCLA The Lax Mag February ‘09 66 MCLA The Lax Mag February ‘09 photo: Stephen Phillips Then just leave the mustache, reenactor. war civil a like look and the process where you firstdo the chin courseplayhadtothelittleI gamein now.right Of tom impulse. Complete thing off. It’s as clean as a baby’s bot- fore yesterday I just hacked the whole be- day the that admit gotta I sides. He totally should, like straight up burn- NF: hair to the presidency. some mutton chops to bring back some facial grow Obama Barack that recommended he A creepiness. NF: Selleck in in Redford Robert mustache, better the has think you AO: ing if we can, there is no point in not doing it. mov- keep will we But operation. four-man a change and you have to adapt to that. This is adaptation, people change and their situations NF: AO: a lot more fun for me. realized that and got over my hang-ups it got kinda I once think I possible. as long as last it make and worth Takeit’smouth. all for it vacation.ais whygiftlookSohorsea the in hardly be described as job as it as much of it a real job, a job is a job.’ Sometimes this can is hell the ‘what said I and epiphany an had job. YouI real lasts. Then a it while it enjoy you do while you are young and then you get this wasn’t a real job and this was something that childhood from brainwash or sumption as- this ously,always was there that it’sjust NF: on rollin’? going to have to say Selleck, just for sheer for just Selleck, say to have to going O: [Laughing] Change is his moniker. We just keep on rollin’. It’s all a matter of

Michelangelo and Divinci. Wow. I’mWow. Divinci. and Michelangelo

Asa connoisseur of facial hair, who do It’s true. It’s not that I didn’t take it seri- it take didn’t I that It’snot It’strue. Last Last month I talked to Les Claypool and Do you see an end or do you just keep Magnum PI or none of the above. or Tomor Horseman Electric The Socrates, Marx, Papa Smurf, Abe Lincoln. Smurf, Abe Papa Marx, Socrates, Moses, Zeus, beards, worn have men erful AO: levels. I shave every two years. differentmany on wrong so looked just it but A lot of stuff creeps into song like that. thinking about that and it crept into the song. were a Japanese ad slogan. Years later I was it if as Bang” “VamanosBang head, his of and Japan in advertising Timoffsaid top the commercial in use they “English” bizarre the did a tour in Japan and we were talking about pletely wrong but this is what I remember. We NF: lyric come to be? that did How Worry”. “Electric song Clutch the from stole conveniently I which manos, Vamanoscalled is appear will Vainterview - AO: like a turtle out of the shell. long as I did and you get rid of it you kinda feel at the hardware store. When you have one as scare small children and you get more respect to easy it’s one have you if today but past, hang up. I can’t really speak of beards of the Maybe it’s some kind of patriarchal, wise man tough. look to wanted and chins weak had N You think there is a connection? F: [Laughing] Papa Smurf. All those dudes It came from Tim. This could be com- be Tim.from could came This It The section of the magazine that this that magazine the of section The Over the course of history, a lot of pow- all right. NF: Rogers. AO: Galactica. Trek for some reason. I grew up on pretty good. I always had a hang up with a confessional. It was a little campy but it was was on. This is an interview that is turning into is like do I show No. The NF: AO: way. find its way into a song in a very round about You can get an image from a story and it can were a couple of stories that are pretty gnarly. a lot of Clive Barker in a while an image will kinda stick out. I read once stuff. Every there out some and fiction other music? AO: anything else. N AO: NF: F: Oh yea, Oh No problem, let me know if you need you if know me let problem, No

Thanks a lot Neil. Reading books. I read a lot of science science of lot a read I books. Reading Are you a secret Trekkie? We do you draw influence other than other influence draw you do We I love I and Galactica Battlestar . Erin Gray was Gray Erin Rogers. Buck Books of Blood when it when Firefly Battlestar Battlestar and there Buck Star Star