Stanford Prison Experiment

Last month, the Stanford Prison Experiment made a stop in our backyard. They played the Holy Cow with The Jesus Lizard. What a great night, and a great turn out. We had record business people there, we had magazine people there, we had the who’s who of the Salt Lake music under­ground there, we had your usual flag idiots that tried to impress the little ladies, we even had Salt Lake’s finest, the cops, there by the end of the show. This was ten times better than watching Smellrose Place, or whatever you were watching that night.

The Stanford Prison Experiment, SPE from here on out, comes to us from the glit­tery, fly-by freak streets of, (yawn) Los Angeles. Mario Jimenez is on vocals, Davey Latter is on drums, Mark Fraser is on bass, and Mike Starkey is on guitar. They let me and my rough boyz corner them in a room and ask a few questions.

SLUG: Ok, so I wear my SPE t-shirt to the gym and once everyone reads it, they all scatter. I don’t think anyone wants to know what kind of experiment or prison I’ve been in.

Davey: Are you sure it’s the shirt and not your stench?

SLUG: When I walk in, it’s the shirt. After about 30-45 minutes, it’s the stench. So, where did you guys get your name from?

Mike: We got it from the Stanford Prison Experiment in the early ’70s.

SLUG: I’m not familiar with that. What was the Prison Experiment?

Mike: They got a lot of college students, then they divided them up. Some were guards and some were prisoners, in this simulated prison. In a nutshell, the conclu­sion was that your role shapes your actions and beliefs. The guards started acting like guards and the prisoners started  acting like prisoners. There was more to it than that, but that is essentially it. And we thought that would make a somewhat interesting band name.

SLUG: Where.are you all from?

Mike: L.A.

SLUG: All of you?

Mike: All of us, except Mark, who is from Wales, by way of New York.

SLUG: How did you hook up?

Mike: With an ad in the paper.

SLUG: How long have you been on tour this time?

Davey: We are halfway through it and it’s a month-long tour.

SLUG: How’s it going with The Jesus Lizard?

Davey: It’s going great.

SLUG: All of the shows have been sold out. The Jesus Lizard are the best. They are great, great guys. On top of all that, they are a great band.

SLUG: So what’s coming out, any­thing new?

Mike: Yeah, we’ve got a CD com­ing out in May.

Davey: May 7th.

SLUG: Is it done or is it in post production?

Mike: It’s totally done.

That’s right kids, Stanford Prison Experiment will be releasing their third album on Cinco de Mayo. The title is Wrecreation. It is co-produced by Ted Nicely, who has produced and worked with such bands as Fugazi and Girls Against Boys. The word on the street is that Wrecreation is “leaner, meaner and more melodic and focused” than the previous material by SPE.

Right now, I would just like to break and say if it wasn’t for Barbara Mitchell at Deluxe Media, this interview would never have taken place, she showed us some love here at SLUG. Barbara, a big deep, slow, wet, kiss goes out to you, baby. And, on behalf of SLUG, I give a special thank you to Island Records. No help, no bio, no promo stuff, nothing, nada. So, thank you Island, let us know when we can bend over for you again, huh? A big kiss goes out to you, too. A big KISS MY ASS!!!

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program.

SLUG: Why do record com­panies wait on something like this, why May?

Mario: It’s better for them to take their time and focus. They can plan the launch, all the advertising, sell throughs, etc, if they plan and take their time.

SLUG: A little bit longer than the DIY labels.

Mario: Oh, yeah.

SLUG: I want to go down the line on this one, but who are some of your influ­ences? As you were growing up, who did you listen to that you thought, yeah, that’s what I want to do?

Mario: I never thought I was going to be in a band, or did I want to do that at all. When I was a kid I was into Black Flag, Minor Threat, stuff like that. Those bands tend to have the idea that anyone can play music. And anyone should be able to pick up an instrument and express them­selves. So, that’s kinda where I started.

Davey: l liked DJ Bonebreak a lot. I used to go see X all the time. I liked the guy from The Smiths too, bands like that. I also liked the early ska stuff, Madness, The Specials, all that.

Mike: I listened to so many dif­ferent kinds of bands. Echo & the Bunnymen were a big influ­ence for me. We all listened to basically the same bands. We all like The Smiths a lot. The Psychedelic Furs, bands like that. I got into the old, classic shit too. I really like Led Zeppelin.

Mario: I like Depeche Mode.

SLUG: Really?

Mike: I do too, I like Depeche Mode

Mark: I guess growing up, I was more of a metal head than these guys. Growing up I would listen to Iron Maiden, Rush and Metallica. A lot of just the heav­ier, more metal-like bands, I guess.

SLUG: Can you sing like that guy in Iron Maiden? Can you hit those notes?

Mark: No, I can’t. I wish I could though. I guess recently I’ve been trying to listen to different stuff. These guys have been turning me on to a lot of stuff they listen to, like Echo & the Bunnymen. Right now, Joy Division is a favorite band of mine. I’ve been trying to listen to azz, checkin’ out Charles Mingus, ya know? A lot of rap music I like, such as Public Enemy, The Roots. I just try to check out different kinds of music, see what’s out there.

SLUG: How do you like touring?

Davey: We like it.

SLUG: What do you like about it?

Mike: Don’t have to work.

Davey: We get to play our music night after night, and we get tighter as a band.

SLUG: So what do you hate?

Mario: All the stuff that comes from being away from home, like family and friends, stuff like that. Bad sleep, no sleep.

So there you have it. File this under “Tales from the road…” The Stanford Prison Experiment will be coming back to our happy valley sometime between now and May 7th. Make sure you keep your eyes peeled and don’t miss them next time around. The guys are like a sonic assault on your senses and in my opinion, everybody should partake. I’m out.

Read more interviews from the archives:
16 Horsepower
Foo Fighters

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