HorrorPops
It must have been with some degree of daffy glee that the popular Danish bands Peanut Pump Gun, Nekromantix and Strawberry Slaughterhouse were stirred together. That is, after all, the only conceivable explanation of the Daffy Duck-coppin'-feels-off-Divine delight-and-surprise vibe that resonates in HorrorPops' debut Hellcat Records release, Hell, Yeah!
HorrorPops hail from Copenhagen, Denmark but the demon seed was planted in Cologne, Germany at the 1996 POPKOMM festival. patricia, PPG's singer-guitarist, and Nekromantix singer-bassist Kim Nekroman met and discovered mutual affection for the sounds of Blonde, Depeche Mode, Siouxsie and the Banshees, surf, punk, ska, and good ol' rock 'n roll. They taught each to play the other's instrument and pledged to write songs that held no loyalty to any particular style.
"We didn't want to be categorized," says patricia. Where Peanut Pump Gun and Strawberry Slaughterhouse dwelled within the punk/alternative genre, and Nekromantix was psy...
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It must have been with some degree of daffy glee that the popular Danish bands Peanut Pump Gun, Nekromantix and Strawberry Slaughterhouse were stirred together. That is, after all, the only conceivable explanation of the Daffy Duck-coppin'-feels-off-Divine delight-and-surprise vibe that resonates in HorrorPops' debut Hellcat Records release, Hell, Yeah!
HorrorPops hail from Copenhagen, Denmark but the demon seed was planted in Cologne, Germany at the 1996 POPKOMM festival. patricia, PPG's singer-guitarist, and Nekromantix singer-bassist Kim Nekroman met and discovered mutual affection for the sounds of Blonde, Depeche Mode, Siouxsie and the Banshees, surf, punk, ska, and good ol' rock 'n roll. They taught each to play the other's instrument and pledged to write songs that held no loyalty to any particular style.
"We didn't want to be categorized," says patricia. Where Peanut Pump Gun and Strawberry Slaughterhouse dwelled within the punk/alternative genre, and Nekromantix was psychobilly, HorrorPops was to be "basically, um...good old fashioned rock and roll."
She reasons that everything HorrorPops incorporates into its sound goes back to that one category, and connotes the same spirit and principles. "When you look at subculture today, not many can say they're purely punk, oi, psychobilly, new wave, ska, or heavy metal. They all dig Billy Idol, anyway. We just wanted to say that out loud."
In 1999, two songs, "Ghouls" and "Psychobitches Outta Hell," from HorrorPops' 7-song, press kit-only demo, found popular affection on the Copenhagen club circuit and the band bolstered its lineup with the addition of ghoulish go-go dancers. They continued to play to fervent crowds throughout Europe and Scandinavia. Early 2003 saw the band hunker down in Ventura Recording in Christiania to lay down six more tracks for what would become Hell, Yeah! The free-for-all environs proved especially conducive to the recording.
"Christiania is an old military ground that got taken over by hippies in the 70's," explains patricia. "It has its own laws; they're not part of the EC, they're a society with their own rules---unfortunately, it's stormed weekly by cops, politicians, and other disgusting elements. I don't think that there could be a place more suited in the whole world for HorrorPops to record at, especially 'cause it goes so well with the HorrorPops slogan: No rules!"
Although the record was recorded over 2001-03, HorrorPops autonomous handling of the production duties ensured a seamless, unbound, relentlessly fun vibe. patricia's punchy upright bass propels songs that are defiant of categorization; they are at once more than and exactly elemental rock tunes. "Julia" and "Cool Flat Top" play to the band's 'billy side, alive with hepkitty spunk; Psychobitches..." slinks along with a tribal, "Peter Gunn" covertness; "Girl in a Cage" mixes Josie Cotton 80s pop with ska; "Horror Beach" is the classic scary surf instro; "Ghouls" is exuberant alt-pop---Debbie Harry's head sewn onto Gwen Stefani's body, if you will; "Where They Wander" is classic punk rock with an anthemic chorus and hot "whoa-oa-oa-oa-oa" backups. The album most pleasantly reeks of immediacy.
"We are geeks when we enter a studio," says patricia. "We love nerding around just as much as we love partying." And somewhere in the midst of that, they write songs. "I don't ever think we are gonna be a band that can do songs in advance. Just like babies, usually they aren't planned."
Once the recording was done, Nekroman took it to friend and Hellcat honcho Tim Armstrong, who said, "Let's do it!" and signed HorrorPops to the label. The next order of business was to send them on tour, get their crazy show in front of U.S. audiences. HorrorPops spent the better part of 2004 touring the U.S. with The Offspring, Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards, and the Punks vs. Psychos tour. They also did two European headlining tours, performed live on BBC1 and Jimmy Kimmel and appeared on the main stage at Hootenanny. At every stop, crowds thrilled to HorrorPops' shows, which are storied throw-downs.
"The most frequent comment," says patricia, "from people watching the show is "You guys are crazy, so much stuff goes on onstage that you never know where to look or what to expect."
Musically, she says, it's the same thing. In sound and vision, HorrorPops is "straight-up rock 'n' roll," completely unpredictable and as sweet as it is volatile. "You can hear a bit of Blondie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Ramones, Cramps, Tiger Army, Rev. Horton Heat, Wanda Jackson, Billy Idol and Depeche Mode in it. I think everybody, no matter what kind of music they like, they will find something in HorrorPops that is for them."
So what's in it for the band? "We are just playing our asses off and try to have as much fun as possible," says patricia. She says the band is rocking with new guitarist Geoff Kresge (former bassist with Tiger Army and A.F.I.) and new go-go dancer, No-No. "Geoff has turned out to be the best guitarist we've ever had, and No-No is our Texan hammer."
Thus armed, patricia says HorrorPops is primed to attack 2005 with gusto as they prepare for another U.S. tour---including a Warped Tour jaunt---and a new album, to be produced by Epitaph's own Brett Gurewitz. "We're going to break some rules and flip a finger to all the freaks in uniforms that put down laws to what subculture music is all about."
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