Dick Valentine

Electric Six

After trying to contact Electric Six for over two weeks I finaly received an e-mail from the band's tour manager saying the interview was all set up and ready to go! The band has been constantly touring since the first release. Fire, back in 2003 so I was told to meet up with the guys just before soundcheck and low and behold I did. I was due to interview two members of the band, Tait Nucleus and Dick Valentine, but due to a heavy schedule Tait stayed on the bus to catch up with some sleep. I managed to share the band's rider and have a cool conversation with Dick Valentine.
By Paul
April 14, 2005
Dick Valentine (Electric Six) interview
What sort of responses are you receiving from the new album?

Well, you know I think at this point that's a double edged question. I'll start with this, the way this album is being marketed as, is that the record company has perceived us as having a core fan base and the thing is they don't know which single to push to radio yet, so in terms of sales... not so good but in terms of reviews and certainly from our fans they seem to like it, and the reviews have gone down really well. I think we have nailed down what will be the next single but I'm not sure when that's going to come out.

On the song Rock 'n Roll Evacuation what is being said in the background to the guitar solo?

Uh what's actually being said? [Laughs] Really!

Yeah there is something being said.

You'll have to ask our bass player about that he's the one who produced this record. Yeah that one is out of my hands, I'm pretty minimal in the studio, I just come in and do my thing and leave. I've never really been too much into sound and things like that, I don't own any records. I do care about music but I don't gravitate towards a lot of the things a lot of people gravitate towards, I just like writing fun songs.

Well you pretty much answered this question, I was going to ask what you think the next single will be?

Oh yeah, the single will be Boy or Girl. Yeah well we were pushing for Rock n Roll Evacuation but you know record companies have a way of persuasion, you know, but we're fine with that. For us that was always kinda like a second tier song.

I would have loved to have seen Jimmy Carter released as a single.

Oh yeah, me too, I would have gone with a lot of songs before that but I guess that's the way it is with record companies. They generaly tend to take the safest route, so I guess we'll see. It's their call.

Any plans on releasing a video to coincide with the single?

Yeah and if we do that I definatly have an idea for that, that was one of the songs I had a concept for, a video for, so that makes it better for me, I think it will be pretty funny.

Do you want to let us into any secrets about the video?

Well the song is basically about a class room of kids that are too stoned to even figure out if they can write Boy or Girl let alone take a test and if we could just get a good bunch of kid actors and just have them be completely wasted and just show how pathetic they are and I think it will be a pretty funny video.

Who is Monty and what are the ingredients to a Utah burger?

[Laughs] Ahh well Monty's Grill is a grill in Royal Oak in Michigan and it's actually called a Neutron burger and it's basically two thick greasy patties with bacon, fried egg... it's the ultimate burger!!!

And you actually enjoy that?

[Laughs]Yeah well, it's a once a year thing, you got to go for it.

You refer to the Jacksons in the song Be My Dark Angel. What do you think about the Michael Jackson case?

Well, I think we're beginning to just scratch the surface I think. A lot of stuff is going to come out. I think he is a very troubled individual and I don't think he even knows he is troubled, you know, I was a big fan of the O.J. Simpson trial and I think this may well eclipse it.

You have had a few member changes over the past few years, are you happy with the lineup at the moment?

Yeah, it's good, we went in with the first band with just five people and maybe they were not on the same page, well maybe two of them were on the same page together, but I was pretty much not on the same level with the other guys and it just worked its way out. This lineup is the first time I've been in this band where all six of us just hang out.

That's a big difference...

Yeah it's good, there is no animosity and no one feels like someone is out to get them.

And everybody is in it 100%?

Yeah I mean we are booking shows like into November and December and everyone is like Yeah lets do it.

You recently played a show in Russia. Any good experiences from that?

Oh it's amazing, we've done two shows there now and at the end of this tour we're going to play a wedding in Prauge for some of our Russian friends. Russia is very interesting, you know, me and Tait got stopped on the street by some cops, you know, we went through that where they shake you down looking for bribes and that. It's always fun!

What plans are there for Electric Six after the U.K. tour?

Well, I think what we are going to do is work on America whether that means touring or seeing what we can do there because America is a place where you have a lot of room to go up so I think that's going to be our next focus. So maybe April, May, June we will tour America, then we will come back to the U.K. in the summer and do some festivals, and after that we'll see.

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