Amen interview

By Casey Blakeney

Peon Culture

This is the headliner of all of the interviews under our old moniker. This took place before their "We Have Come for Your Parents" album release back in 2000. Not only was it the most entertaining interview I ever conducted, but it was also one of the most interesting. This interview is being displayed in the raw form it was originally taken in. I feel the raw form suits the band and the producer.

Peon = Casey Blakeney (Peon Culture)

CC = Casey Chaos (Amen)
RR = Ross Robinson (Producer)

Peon: So, can you explain the band to those that haven't heard you yet?

CC: It's just basically an unpredictable mess (chuckling). We're just Amen. I think that he (points at Ross Robinson) can explain it better. When you do something, it makes it hard to explain.

RR: It's a party band...they have all kinds of fun with lyrics and funky beats and there is lots of rapping.

CC: We're an uncommercial band in a commercial world.

Peon: I wanted to ask some questions related to the internet. First, who did your website?

CC: Well, I designed it but I actually didn't put it up since I'm...an idiot. But I did all the artwork and that type of stuff.

Peon: How much has it had an effect on your career?

CC: I don't know to be honest with you. It's sort of real vague (see it here). People were saying, I think even you (pointing at Casey) "is this the Amen site?" When it first went up people didn't know whether it was a band because it was a lot different before. Originally it was really obscure...people didn't have any idea what it was. They were leaving messages saying "What the hell is this?" So, I think it's a great tool. It's another avenue.

Peon: What about Ross?

RR: Umm, as far as getting people to understand what Amen is about, they've all been able to connect with it and see a lot of the feelings behind the band... which is cool. I think it helps business wise for everyone to be on the same page.

RR: Well, I'll tell you the truth. I don't really know that much about the internet. I don't even know how to turn on my laptop. I've had it for two years and I seriously don't know how to turn it on. So I don't record records with computers or anything, it's all by hand. I'm gonna learn how when I get back home... I promise.

Peon: Amen leads a very decadent lifestyle...very old school punk, rock n' roll kind of shit. What do you actually think of the punk scene now?

CC: The punk scene as in what?

Peon: Such as the Blink 182 crap that they try to pan off as punk.

CC: I don't buy into it. It's pretty much the opposite of what punk is because my mom likes Blink 182. Punk rock, to me, has always been not socially acceptable. It's not "mall punk". It should be just freaks, weirdos, and all the other bands that you're talking about are more just commercial music used in an advertisement. When I hear it you can tell they just want to write hooky songs that will sell records.

Peon: What bands did you grow up on?

CC: The first hardcore band was like Black Flag... than obviously I became obsessed with hardcore. Got to tracing it back to the 77 explosion with all the punk bands like the Damned. Than post-punk with Bauhaus and Killing Joke. And of course going back to MC5 and the Stooges.

Peon: I wanted Ross to explain the I AM record label.

RR: I AM Amen today...and that's what it is. I morph into the band that I'm working with and become another band member. Also, it's a stamp of absolute integrity where there is no fucking around..no bullshit with record company infiltration or outside influences. It's all pure to the artist. It's a stamp of quality...

CC: (chanting) GRADE A! GRADE A! Haha

RR: Yeah, that's what it is and I AM meaning I AM that band. We absolutely become blood brothers... just connected all the way.

Peon: So what are I AM's future goals then? What kind of music can we expect?

RR: We were friends since the Korn demo days. We were living in our cars together. I learned how to record vocals with Casey. I figured out different things with him and became best friends for years and years.

Peon: How do you like being hooked up with Virgin now?

RR: It's a dream. It can't possibly get any better. You know we don't even have one record out yet and it's just been absolutely beautiful. Like the support and coolness...the cookies (sitting on a nearby table)..haha

Peon: Yes, the $20 cookies.

RR: Like the respect, the care..it's so non-corporate. It's all supporting the art. Every person that I've met has been so genuine and so cool.

Peon: Virgin seems to be getting harder and harder with A Perfect Circle, Nativity in Black II, and now Amen.

RR: I'd challenge any label to match this (points as Casey).

Peon: I don't know if that's possible. I haven't seen you live yet though, but I've heard about some of the extreme things that have happened. What's the worst thing that has happened?

CC: Nothing.

Peon: Okay, what's the biggest?

CC: Oh, splintering my rib on the first CD and having to get surgery because it was deep into my lungs. They had to remove it. That was pretty stupid.

Peon: How did it happen?

RR: The last scream on the record he was like (mimics loud scream)...like the baddest scream I've ever heard and he hits the shelf in the vocal booth than falls into it and cracks his rib (both Casey and Ross laugh).

Peon: What was the reaction from the rest of the people there?

CC: No one knew. We were mixing the album in New York and I noticed I couldn't breathe too well. It was bothering me more than usual. Went home, they x-rayed it and wanted to do surgery right away.

Peon: So what do you think is in the future for Amen?

RR: Pain (laughing).

CC: I don't know. That's the beauty of this whole thing it could fall apart at any minute. Hopefully we'll go out on the road and play for people. I definitely want to come to Canada...lot of good looking girls in Canada.

RR: Not in "Mancouver" though

Peon: What?

RR: We were isolated in a section of town and there were no girls.

CC: Gastown...where the Warehouse studio is. It's the worst crime rate in all of Canada.

RR: Bryan Adam's studio.

CC: We were kicking it with Bryan Adams.

Peon: Are you proud of that?

CC: Yeah, he watched "Caligula" with us. He was the only guy that got any chicks by the way. He got a lot of chicks (looking at Ross).

RR: What do you mean?

CC: He had a lot of chicks over at the studio.

RR: While I was gone? (sounding utterly disappointed).

Peon: So what's on the horizon for I AM?

RR: Doing another Slipknot album and maybe I'll find a band here. That'd be cool...I'm just looking for bands ya know.

RR: They just have to be so pure in themselves. Like you've never seen anyone look like Casey and act like him. That's complete total 100 percent integrity of a fucking freak. Just like you (points at Casey Blakeney)... well, like Jonathan Davis reminds me of you when I first met him. He was like this goth kid walking in... in his own world. I'm just looking for real shit and no rapping. I will never work with a metal rap band again.

Peon: Well, you've been quoted as saying that you want to be the one that puts the nail in the coffin of ADIDAS rock.

Peon: Do you think of it as almost like Frankenstein's monster since you're the one credited as creating ADIDAS rock, and now you want to destroy it?

RR: Well, not Korn or Limp since they were the first ones. It's just the bottom-feeder kind of bands that just take the riffs off of those albums and do some stupid bullshit. Anything with that ADIDAS rock structure makes me fucking sick and mad. Why don't you try to do something new? I think it's credited to whack ass A&R guys that are paying attention to Soundscan... looking for some band that sounds like Korn. As soon as that happens it is dead and over with. It started in a pure place and ended up as a circus show, almost like David Lee Roth on his solo tour.

Peon: Wow... ok, I want both of you to suggest like three bands that people should watch out for.

RR: Everyone knows about Slipknot...so Amen, At the Drive In and Glassjaw

CC: Satyricon, Hatebreed and Britney Spears

RR: We're the underground Britney movement.

Peon: If you could tour with anyone who would you tour with?

CC: I would like to tour with Diamanda Galas with Satyricon and Britney Spears. Cool people..that are cool to hang out with on the road. I don't want to be with all these fake phony people.

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