Melvins

Forming in 1983 in America’s far North West, going through about a million bass players and labels in that time, hugely influential sludge pioneers Melvins are making their first visit to Australia in two years. This will be their first visit in their new four-piece incarnation, as the band, in a sense, merged with the core of Seattle band Big Business a few years back. Melvins now feature two drummers (and drumkits) on stage, with Coady Willis joining long-term drummer Dale Crover on drums, and Jared Warren on bass. Guitarist Buzz Osborne, the man who among influencing a ton of bands back in Seattle in the late ’80s, was also the fellow responsible to introducing protégées Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic to drummer Dave Grohl. Osborne is on the phone from his home in Los Angeles, California – where has been based for almost eighteen years now.

It seems these days it is fashionable for every band of note to perform their "signature" album from start to finish (the trend that was started by the All Tomorrows Parties festival’s Don’t Look Back series of performances). Melvins however took this to another level by completing a monthly residency at Los Angeles’ Spaceland, where the band performed almost three albums in their entirety each night. It’s enough to make any fan from the other side of the pacific insane with jealousy.

"The first week we did Colossus Of Destiny, Lysol and the Eggnog record, and also played another set as well," explains Osborne. "The second week we did Melvins 1983, followed by a normal Melvins set into the Houdini album. The third week we did Melvins-lite, which was just me and Dale playing, followed by a normal Melvins set into us playing the Bullhead record. The final week we did a normal Melvins set and then we did Stoner Witch."

It definitely would’ve been interesting to hear one of the more ‘odd’ Melvins releases, Colossus Of Destiny, from 2001, performed live. Essentially a noise record, the album documents a live improvised set from 1998 that could very well be a counterpart of Neil Young’s experimental Arc album from 1991. Osborne claims it wasn’t too difficult to play this live again. "Well it’s not really hard to play it – it’s pretty much just wild, noisy insanity­ – not a lot of playing – it was good, we had a good time." The full current four-piece Melvins line-up performed the piece, "minus Adam Jones (from Tool, who played on the original record). He was outstanding – out standing somewhere else," laughs Osborne.

I inquire as to whether the band have any plans to do any of these album showcase shows when they’re in Australia this time, as last time they were here Osborne and Crover performed their arguably seminal major label debut record Houdini from 1993, with Trevor Dunn from Mr. Bungle / Fantômas on bass (who were all in the country touring in the line-up for Fantômas at the Big Day Out). "When we’re there this time we’re only playing with Primus and the (Soundwave) festival shows." I mention that other times that Melvins have done tours as support bands they’ve managed to sneak in small club shows at the last minute, as they did in 2002 where they played Cherry Bar the same night after supporting Tool at Rod Laver Arena (with that Cherry show possibly being my favourite gig ever.) "Yeah well that’s not going to happen this time. I wish," says Osborne. "Of course the Big Day Out has never had any interest in Melvins playing. Oh no! I don’t know why? Maybe we’re not bad enough? Or maybe they don’t think we’re good enough."

At this point the conversation takes a bit of a sharp turn as I mention the time that Mr. Bungle were allegedly kicked off the Big Day Out line-up in early 2000 at the request of festival headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers – specifically their frontman Anthony Kiedis. Did Osborne ever do anything to piss off Anthony Kiedis? It appears not. "I like that he (Kiedis) feels like he has the right to point the accusing finger at anyone. That’s nice. So much for the peace and love, and the bullshit funkadelic world that they live in. ‘Peace and Love brother, but your band’s not playing.’ How’s that work? "You’d think the millions and millions and millions of records that guy has sold would make him a little happier than he actually is. Apparently that’s not the case."

It seems Kiedis was still holding a grudge from 20 years ago against Patton – who he arrogantly believed had plagiarised his style in the early Faith No More days. "Still an asshole, even while polishing all those gold records," shrugs Osborne. "You think he could do something like buy a mink coat to make himself feel better, but no. I tell you if I had his kind of money you’d never see me again," he laughs. "The last thing I’d be doing would be stressing over some band playing at some festival that I was being overpaid to play at." Has Osborne ever run into him on the streets of LA? "Me? I don’t run in those circles. I’m not down at the Hollywood methadone clinic," he jokes. "I don’t know where I’d run into him."

The last few years has seen Osborne retire his iconic black Gibson Les Paul guitar, in favour of a new aluminium-crafted guitar made by Florida’s Electrical Guitar Company. Apparently when Osborne brought the guitar to Australia two years ago, EGC subsequently had several calls from Australian guitar geeks wanting to order their own aluminium guitar after seeing Osborne play it, and hearing the intensity of its sound. Osborne was turned on to the distinctive guitars through friends from the band Isis, who they share a rehearsal space in Los Angeles with. EGC guitars are also used by Ben Andrews from local band My Disco, Duane Denison from The Jesus Lizard, and Steve Albini – just to name a few.

"I’m an open-minded guy; I certainly don’t think I’ve thought of everything. And I’m not a traditionalist. I don’t feel like I have to play a certain type of thing. I feel heavily contemporary. If you think about a band like The Velvet Underground using those vintage guitars, well at the time they were new guitars – they weren’t vintage at all." It seems Osborne doesn’t concern himself with using vintage gear, preferring to use anything that sounds good. "I could care less. I appreciate any good instrument. If people want to spend money on that that’s fine with me, there are worse things they could spend their money on than collecting guitars. It seems relatively harmless to me."

Melvins have just wrapped up an extensive USA tour on the back of last year’s The Bride Screamed Murder which, like most of their albums from the last ten years, was released on Mike Patton’s Ipecac label. "I love touring the ‘States; it’s my favourite place to tour. We have a really great time touring here, we know what to expect, it’s really easy, we don’t have to fly anywhere to do it and you can use all of your own equipment." The band have a new live album set to be released in May, recorded on the Nude with Boots (2008) tour, intriguingly titled Sugar Daddy.

In the meantime, make sure to catch MELVINS supporting Primus at The Palais Theatre Thursday March 3, or at SOUNDWAVE festival Friday March 4. Just don’t expect them to be doing any sneaky secret shows, or playing BDO any time soon. The Bride Screamed Murder is out now through Shock.