Kultura ZP Izdvojeno

Kurt Danielson (TAD): Hell Bent For Flanel

Hrvoje Bubić

 |  lip. 12, 2016

Kurt Danielson je poznat kao nekadašnji bas gitarsit sastava TAD koji je djelovao u Seattleu tijekom devedesetih, no također i kao akter i kroničar tadašnje gradske i prigradske grunge scene. O njegovu djelovanju u sastavima Bundle of Hiss i TAD, te o fenomenu grungea i o sceni Seattlea općenito, razgovarao je Solin Live suradnik Hrvoje Bubić.

Iz objektivnih razloga, članak donosimo u izvorniku, te u hrvatskom prijevodu.

For the start, could you tell me something about TAD, your begings,how do you guys stick together,influences.I heard that your homeland looks like a Twin Peaks ( just so you know my hometown Solin looks also like Twin Peaks),is it true that you collaborated with David Lynch on Twin Peaks?

Tad and I met in around 1987, when my first band Bundle of Hiss was still together. We were working on our first record. Tad had just moved to Seattle from Boise, Idaho with his band H-Hour, and H-Hour and Bundle of Hiss played a lot of shows together.

When H-Hour broke up, Tad briefly joined Bundle of Hiss on guitar, and he recorded a few songs with us in the studio before Bundle of Hiss also broke up, leaving Tad and I wondering what we should do. Tad had already written and recorded a few tracks, playing all the instruments himself, and Sub Pop had decided that they wanted to release two of them as a single. Dan Peters, who had played drums for Bundle of Hiss and was now playing for Mudhoney, suggested that Tad and I start a new band to perform the songs on Tad’s single live. Tad and I decided that was a great idea, and we took him up on it. We recruited Steve Wied on drums and Gary Thorstensen on lead guitar and began writing songs. Within two weeks Sub Pop booked us into Reciprocal Recording studios with Jack Endino to record God’s Balls.

We were influenced mostly by each other and by our friends in other Seattle bands of that era, bands like Mudhoney, U-men, Greenriver, The Melvins, Malfunkshun, Screaming Trees, and Soundgarden. From the beginning, Tad and I wanted to write, record, and perform the heaviest music possible. We had a vision and a philosophy based on a bludgeoning approach. Both Tad and I were heavily influenced by British post punk bands like Gang of Four, Joy Division, Public Image, and Bauhaus, but at the same time American post punk bands like Swans, Sonic Youth, Big Black, Killdozer, Butthole Surfers, and Scratch Acid also exerted a powerful influence, as did several British bands from that era, like Head of David, Godflesh, and World Domination Enterprises, to name a few. We also liked Australian bands like Cosmic Psychos, The Scientists, The Birthday Party, and King Snake Roost. All of us were into American punk bands too, esp bands from SST records and older punk bands like Flipper. Hard rock bands from the ‘70’s also impacted our sound: Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Iggy and the Stooges, and David Bowie. I always loved British Invasion era bands like the Beatles, the Kinks, the Who, and the Zombies. We all loved Hendrix as well. Tad always liked Be Bop Jazz and Frank Zappa. Individually we all had slightly different influences, but what made us interesting was how we blended these together. Our chemistry was powerful, and it enabled us to blend these influences and viewpoints together in interesting and novel ways, regurgitating them to create our own heavy vision.

God’s Balls as well as our subsequent records conveys a vision steeped in the Pacific Northwest: it evokes a dark atmosphere associated with a specific time and place, just as David Lynch’s work does, including Twin Peaks, which always inspired me on a personal level. Somehow Lynch is skilled at expressing the spirit of a place through the means of plot, narrative, dialogue, acting, and cinematography. I’d like to think that the TAD records do a similar thing but with music and lyrics alone. I wish that David Lynch had asked us to collaborate on Twin Peaks: I can’t think of a director I’d rather work with, if asked. Unfortunately, we were never asked.

My readers would like to know about the Seattle grunge scene: how it started & developed,do you think that grunge is real music movement/genre,who is founder of grunge (like Black Sabbath for metal or Stooges for punk) and what’s opinion on Johnny come laters like Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots?

Grunge wasn’t a conscious musical movement per se. It happened organically and naturally. We couldn’t necessarily detect it as an objective phenomenon while it was happening, because we were too close to it. We didn’t perceive it as having a direction or a purpose. We were just musicians and former college students who wanted to express ourselves by writing, performing, and recording our own compositions. Seattle in those days was geographically isolated.

Seattle has always been a boomtown, a place where new ideas and innovations seem to easily take root and flourish. On the one hand, Seattle in the late ‘80’s was a thriving college town and port city, a city of industrial and technological innovation (Boeing, Microsoft). On the other hand, it was geographically isolated from the rest of the country, and so the music scene there was allowed to develop on its own to a degree.

In the early to mid ‘80’s, Seattle had two music scenes: the primary one was based downtown, and it was basically fueled by punk, art or post punk and garage rock.
The other one was based on the eastside of town, Bellevue, which is the affluent section of the city, and it was more oriented toward glam rock and heavy metal.

Consequently, bands like the Stooges and Black Sabbath started to exert a stronger influence on downtown bands at this time, and as bands that had formerly been focusing exclusively on a punk ethos began to transcend those limits, starting to experiment with a heavier sound, a new hybrid form of punk and metal was born. Soundgarden and Green River were among the first examples to succeed at this new fusion, taking what earlier bands like the U-Men – who were a very powerful and influential band and one of the first of that scene to put out records and tour, playing a brand of garage swamp blues punk that took its name from a Pere Ubu song – to a different place, making a heavier and more primal mix of punk and hard rock influences. There was no one person or band that spearheaded the movement. It was a collective phenomenon. When suddenly the world’s attention was drawn to the Pacific Northwest after the huge success of bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden, there was a popular misconception that these bands had always been part of a conscious, organized musical movement, but that was only apparent after the fact, in retrospect.

Musical phenomena like grunge happen in the dark and in secret and without conscious design or intent.

Seattle music scene was selfless and pure when these bands first started rehearsing in basements and garages. Even when we all first started playing shows and putting out records no one had an agenda other than to get our music out there. In those days, the amazing thing was just to put out a record and go on tour. No one ever thought beyond that in any concrete, conscious way, because no one had any idea that it could be successful or that it could lead anywhere, much less that anyone would ever care enough about it to label it and remember it.

Could you tell me about the movie Singles, what you think about it, do you think is just cowcash, or solid movie?I know that Tad is had cameo role in the Singles movie and TAD’s song Jinx was playing, how that Jinx is not on Singles sountrack, song is so good?

Cameron Crowe, who wrote and directed Singles, was married to Nancy Wilson from Heart at the time, and so he was to a degree hip to what was happening in Seattle in the early ‘90’s. It was a big deal to be included on that soundtrack, but we knew we wouldn’t be included, because our music was too dangerous and too heavy to comfortably fit that movie’s slick, commercial vision. It’s a Hollywood version of the Seattle grunge scene, with Hollywood characters living Hollywood lives, lives that never really happened, lives that were manufactured and scripted to fit the movie’s ridiculous plot.

At the time, I didn’t think of Seattle as having a scene, and I thought the movie was a pretentious farce, a joke. It was cool that they thought to include Jinx in the film itself, and I still think that Tad’s cameo is the best part about the whole movie. But unfortunately our image wasn’t considered to be cool enough for us to be included on the soundtrack, which reflects the self-interested bias of those involved in the selection process. In the end, I decided that it was better this way, because it’s a lame movie in my opinion.

Most bands in Seattle started in that time with Sub Pop and Jack Endino. As I know, he done solid job on your 1st album God’s Balls, like Nirvana’s Bleach and Soundgarden’s Screaming life. While God’s Balls are more in 70’s metal style like a Black Sabbath, later albums are kind different, is that cos you worked with different producer or just experimented with sound?

In a way, God’s Balls was our mission statement: it defines what the band’s signature sound is like, laying down its parameters in a very basic, primitive way. It was written and recorded very quickly, and its monolithic sound reflects that, just as it reflects that we were a very new band, and we were just learning our respective strengths. Jack was adept at capturing those strengths, and we were lucky to have the opportunity to work with him.

As time went on, we of course decided to experiment with different styles and song structures, choosing the producers that we felt were best suited to properly translate what we were trying to do as time went on. It’s also true that although we always knew what we were about – heaviness – we were also determined not to bore either our audience or ourselves, and so we constantly challenged ourselves to evolve musically while also remaining true to our vision.

The book Experiencing Nirvana: Grunge in Europe has just been realised by Bruce Pavitit, cofounder of Sub Pop. Could you tell me your opinion about the book,tour and what my readers are dying to read: Kurt Cobain. I read in his biography book that you were roomates during the european tour back in 89′. Please tell your wiew on Kurt, how was your relationship with him, what kind of person was it.

Bruce did a great job on his book. Reading it brought me back to that TAD/Nirvana tour of Europe in ’89, which was an emotional experience for me. I’m always being asked about Kurt and what it was like to tour with him. I can mention a few things, but most of my memories are private. If I share anything about Kurt, I will do so in the book that I’m writing about my life in music. Kurt was a shy, sweet, talented, intelligent, creative, sensitive, and funny guy.

He was a catalyst, an electrical conductor, and a magpie in terms of creativity and songwriting. He was fun to hang out with and interesting to talk to. He was mostly quiet and withdrawn, but he did open up whenever we shared a hotel room together. He didn’t just magically become a great songwriter, and Nirvana didn’t just instantly become huge. Kurt and Krist and Chad worked extremely hard to achieve what they did. Krist did a lot for Nirvana. He provided the elbow grease. Kurt supplied the songwriting, but Krist brought the muscle and endurance. It was sad when Chad later left the band, because he worked hard as well. Kurt was a cool guy. They went through some hard times. That wasn’t an easy tour – 36 dates in 41 days as I recall. Our bands went through a lot together. An experience like that forges bonds that last the rest of your life.

TAD had big issues in 90’s: poster with Bill Clinton smoking pot saying: This is heavy shit, PEPSI logo on single,video for Wood Goblins banned on MTV, guy is touching female breast on album cover. Why was that Bill Clinton was a big deal, I mean you live in democratic state is that violation of free speach? Is that an true spirit of rock’n’roll rebelion? That appears on DVD Busted Circuits and Ringing Ears as subject. Please tell me little about it and how DVD came out.

The Bill Clinton poster wasn’t a big deal in reality. We just thought it was a great poster. Unfortunately, someone associated with our label at the time decided it was in bad taste and used it as an excuse or pretense to have us dropped from the label – or so the story goes. The real reason was something much more boring and more complicated, but in itself this other reason wasn’t quite enough to have us dropped, so they used this poster as an extra piece of ammunition against us.

The DVD was a project that Tad organized with the help of King of Hearts Productions, which is run by our good friend Ryan Short, who wrote and directed it. Ryan deserves accolades for putting together the documentary and for doing it so well.
Over the years, Tad had taken a lot of video footage of the band on tour and in the studio. Ryan took all of that raw footage and sculpted a coherent narrative out of it. He did a great job. We were lucky of course that Tad took that footage in the first place. Tad had always had it in the back of his mind to do something with it, and finally he found the right guy to do it.

And for the end, what’s new in Seattle? Soundgarden had a reunion first with Tad as a frontman replacing Chris Cornell, and now they are on tour, promoting an new album, Mark Lanegan has successful solo career, Krist Novoselić is now an politician, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam and Melvins still riding. Would ever be an TAD reunion? Is there a still awsome bands in Seattle, are they continuing “grunge tradition” and what you think about the grunge revival?

It’s indivisible from Seattle, an expression of that time and place with very little artifice and no pretension. It involves guitars, screaming vocals, drop D tunings, minor mode melodies, with a punk energy driving it.

The music lives on and many of the people who made it also live on, as do some of the bands. As to whether TAD will follow suit and reunite is anyone’s guess. The important thing is that everyone who was ever in TAD is still playing music in one form or another. It would be cool to reunite for the sake of the fans and the songs themselves, but I don’t know if it will ever happen. Tad just got back from touring Europe with Brothers of the Sonic Cloth in support of their newest release. He is focused on his work with that band as well as on the recording work he does at his Witch Ape Studio. He’s stoked about that, and that’s cool. I’m stoked about my own thing. I’m focused on my work with Vaporland, which is in the process of writing our second record, which we’re going to record soon at the new Strange Earth Studios in Seattle. I’m also focused on the book I’m writing about my experiences in the Seattle music community, a memoir that in addition to my experiences in music explores issues like memory, addiction, recovery, myth, and narrative.

Anything is possible. But if a TAD reunion ever happened, it would have to happen for the right reasons, just as when the band originally happened it happened for the right reasons. Who knows? I’m a writer and a musician. I’ll always write and play music. If I knew what would happen, I wouldn’t be an artist. I’d be a prophet. I didn’t know what would happen back when TAD first got together. Besides, it’s not about knowing. It’s about finding out. That’s what’s exciting.

Ja i Tad smo se upoznali oko 1987.,  kada je moj prvi bend Bundle of Hiss još uvijek bio skupa.
TAD. Radili smo na našem prvom albumu. TAD se upravo preselio u Seattlea of Boise – Idaho sa cijelim svojim bendom H- Hour. H-hour i Bundle of His skupa su odigrali mnogo koncerata. Nakon raspada H-Hour. TAD se nakratko pridružio Bandle of His na svojoj gitari, snimio je par pjesama s nama u studiu, prije nego se i Bundle of His raspao, Tad i ja smo se zapitali što sada. Tad je unaprijed napisao i snimio par pjesama, svirajući sve instrumente sam. On i Sub Pop su odlučili objaviti dva singla. Dan Peters, bubnjar Bundle of Hiss, a sada nastupa za Mudhoney, predložio je da ja i Tad stvorimo novi bend i da pjesme Tad otpjeva u živo. Tad i ja smo odlučili da je to super ideja i tako smo se udružili. Uzeli smo Steve Wieda bubnjara i Garyja Thorstensena na glavnoj gitari i počeli pisati pjesme. U nepuna dva tjedna Sub Pop nam je rezervirao mjesto u Reciprocal studiju sa Jack Endinom da snimimo Gods Balls.

Bili smo pod utjecajem samih nas i naših prijatelja iz drugih bendova iz Seattlea u to vrijeme, bendova kao Mudhoney, U-men, Greenriver, The Melvins, Malfunkshun, Screaming Trees i Soundgarden. Od samog početka Tad i ja smo pisali,snimali i stvarali najtežu glazbu ikada. Imali smo viziju i filozofiju stvaranu na udaračkom pristupu.

Na nas su jak utjecaj imali britanski post punk bendovi kao što su Gang of Four, Joy Division, Public Image, i Bauhaus,  ali u isto vrijeme američki post punk bendova kao što su Swans, Sonic Youth, Big Black, Killdozer, Butthole Surfers, a Scratch Acid također vrše snažan utjecaj, kao i nekoliko britanskih bendova iz tog doba, poput voditelja Davida, Godflesh i World Domination Enterprises, da spomenemo samo nekoliko. Također smo voljeli australske grupe kao što su Cosmic Psychos, The Scientists, The Birthday Party, i King Snake Roost. Svi smo mi bili i američki pank bendovi, osim bendova iz SST i starijih punk bendova kao Flipper. Hard rock bendovi iz 70-ih također imaju utjecaj na naš zvuk: Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Iggy i Stooges, pa i David Bowie.

Oduvijek sam volio eru britanskih bendova kao Beatles, the Kinks, the Who, i Zombies. Svi smo voljeli Hendrixa također. Tad je uvijek volio Be Bop Jazz i Franka Zappu.
Pojedinačno svi smo imali različite utjecaje, al ono što je nas činilo zanimljivim je to kako smo se uklopili. Naša kemija je bila jaka, a to nam je omogućilo da spojimo različite stavove i razmišljanja u jednu zanimljivu priču, da ostvarimo našu viziju.

God’s Balls kao i naši kasniji zapisi prenose viziju stapanja u Pacific Northwest: ona priziva tamnu atmosferu određenu s specifičnim vremenom i mjestom, kao i djelo David Lynch”s, uključujući Twin Peaks, koji me uvijek inspirirao na osobnoj razini.
Lynch je jako vješt u izražavanju duha kroz pripovijesti, dijaloge, glumu i kinematografiju. Volio bih misliti da su Tad-ovi snimci  napravili sličnu stvar ali u smislu pjesme i teksta. Volio bih da nas je Tad pitao da surađujemo na Twin Peaksu: Ja ne mogu misliti o redatelju s kojim bih volio raditi, da me to i pitao. Nažalost nikada nas nije pitao.

Moji čitatelji željeli bi znati o Seattle grunge sceni: kako je započeo i razvio se, da li ti misliš da je grunge stvarna glazba pokret/žanr, tko je osnivač grungea (kao što su Black Sabbath za metal ili Stoogesa za punk), i tvoje mišljenje o Johnny come lately, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots?

Grunge nije bio svjestan glazbeni pokret sam po sebi. Desio se spontano i prirodno.Mi nismo mogli utjecati na njega kao na neki objekat koji se stvarao, jer smo bili dio njega. Bili smo samo glazbenici i bivši studenti koji su željeli izraziti sebe pišući, izvodeći i snimajući vlastite skladbe.
Seattle kao grad u ono vrijeme je bio geografski izoliran od ostatka.

Seattle je uvijek bio eksplozivan grad, mjesto gdje su nove ideje i inovacije lako pronalazile svoj korijen i brzo su cvjetale. S druge strane grad je bio geografki izoliran od ostatka zemlje, tako da je glazbenoj sceni dopuštena osobna izgradnja.

U ranim srednjim 80-im, Seattle je imao dvije muzičke scene: glavni koji je svoje temelje imao u centru grada, koji je u osnovio bio punk, umjetnost punka i garage rocka.

A drugi se temelji na istočnoj strani grada, Bellevue, bogati dio grada, koji je bio orijentiran na glam rock i heavy metal.

Prema tome bendovi poput Stooges i Black Sabbath počeli su u velikoj mjeri utjecati na bendove u samom centru, i na bendove koji  su se samo fokusirali na punk šireći te limite, počeli su eksperimentirati s težom zvukovima, novi hibrd punka i metala se rodio. Soundgarden i Green River bili su prvi primjeri koji su uspjeli u ovom novom obliku, podižuću ovu vrstu glazbe na jedno drugo mjesto.

Nije postojala niti jedna osoba ili bend koji su širili ovaj pokret, to je bio kolektivni fenomen. Odjednom svjetsku pozornost bila je zaokupljena pacifičkim sjeverozapadom, nakon velikih uspjeha bendova poput  Nirvane, Pearl Jama, Alice in Chains, i Soundgardena, postojala je popularna zabluda da su ovi bendovi oduvijek bili dio svjesnog, organiziranog muzičkog pokreta, ali to je bio privid, ako sagledamo činjenice iz prošlosti.

Glazbeni fenomen kao Grunge dogodio se u mraku u tajnosti i bez svjesnog dizajna ili namjere.

Glazbena scena Seattla bila je nesebična i čista kada su se ovi bendovi započeli uvježbavati u podrumima i garažama. U tim danima, nevjerovatna stvar je bila pustiti u eter pjesmu i odmah krenuti na turneju. Nitko nikad nije mislio korak naprijed, na svjestan način, jer nitko nije imao pojma da bi to mogao biti hit, i da će to voditi nekamo, a kamoli da će netko voditi brigu da to zabilježi i zapamti.

Možeš li mi reći nešto o filmu Singles, što misliš o tome, da li misliš da je čista zarada ili solidan film? Znam da je Tad imao cameo ulogu u tom filmu i Tadova pjesma Jinx isto, kako to da pjesma Jinx nije na Singles soundtracku, pjesma je vrhunska.

Cameron Crowe, scenarist i redatelj Singlesa se u to vrijeme oženio s Nancy Wilson iz grupe Heart, i on je bio na vrhuncu u odnosu na ono što se događalo u Seattleu u ranim 90-ima. Bila je velika stvar biti uključen u stvaranju ovog zvuka, i mi smo znali da nećemo biti uključeni, jer naša muzikaje bila preopasna i jako teška, neugodna da bude dio filma, komercijalnu verziju tog filma.

To je Holivudska verzija Seattle grunge scene, sa holivudskim glumcima koji žive Holivudske živote, život koji se nikad nije dogodio, filmski napisan i namješten život da stvori smiješan filmski zaplet. U to vrijeme nisam mislio da Seattle ima scenu, mislio sam da je film bila velika farsa, velika šala. Bilo je super što su uključili Jinx u sami film, ja i dalje mislim da Tad-ova cameo uloga je najbolji dio cijelog filma. Nažalost naša slika nije se smatrala dovoljno dobrom da bude uključena kao dio zvuka, što se odražava pristranost onih koji su uključeni u proces selekcije. Na kraju, sam odlučio daje bolje tako, jer po mom mišljenju film je promašaj.

Većina bendova u Seattlu započela je u to vrijeme Sub Pop i Jack Endino. Koliko znam, on je napravio solidan posao na svom 1. albumu Gods Balls, kao Nirvana Bleach i Soundgardens Screaming life. Gods Balls su većinom u 70s metalni stil kao Black Sabbath, kasniji albumi su drugačiji, jeli to zbog toga što si radios različitim producentima ili si eksperimentirao s zvukovima?

Na neki način, Gods Balls je naša krajna misija: on definira zvuk kao potpis benda, postavljajući osnovne parametre, na primitivan način. Bio je napisan i snimljen vrlo brzo, i njegov monolitan zvuk refletkira upravo to, kao i to da smo bili novi bend, mi smo samo imali pojedine prednosti. Jack je znao kako usmjeriti tu snagu, a mi smo bili sretni šta imamo priliku raditi s njim.

Kako je vrijeme prolazilo odlučili smo eksperimentirati različite stilove i strukture pjesama, odabravši producenta kojeg smo smatrali da će najbolje prenjeti ono što smo pokušavali napraviti, kako je vrijeme prolazilo. Također je istina da smo uvijek znali što smo bili – težina – također se nismo zamarali ni sam nama, a ni sa našom publikom, i tako smo si stalno postavljali izazove da se glazbeno razvijamo istovremeno dosljedni naše vizije.

Knjiga Experiencing Nirvana: Grunge u Europi je upravo izašla od strane Brucea Pavitita, suosnivača Sub Pop. Možeš li mi reći tvoje mišljenje o toj knjizi, putovanju i ono što moje čitaoce zanima: Kurt Cobain. Čitao sam u njegovoj biografiji da ste bili cimeri tijekom europske turneje davne 89. Tvoj pogled na Kurta, kakav je bio vaš odnos, kakav je on kao osoba?

Bruce je napravio dobar posao sa knjigom. Čitajuči je vratila u vrijeme TAD/Nirvana putovanje po Europi 89. što je bilo emocionalno iskustvo za mene. Oduvijek su me pitali o Kurtu i kako je bilo putovati s njim. Mogu spomenuti par sitnica, ali većina sjećanja je privatna. Ako ikad otkrijem više o Kurtu, to ću učiniti u mojoj knjizi koju pišem o mom glazbenom životu. Kurt je bio sramežljiv, talentiran, inteligentan, kreativan, i zabavan.

Bio je katalizator, električni vodič, uporan u smislu kreativnosti pisanja pjesama. Bio je zabavan i jako zanimljiv sugovornik. Većinu vremena je bio tih i povučen, ali jako otvoren svaki put kad smo djelili hotelsku sobu. Nije magijom postao tekstopisac, i Nirvana nije iznenada postala velika. Kurt, Krist i Chad su radili težak posao da postignu ovo što jesu. Krist je učinio mnogo za Nirvanu, uložio je cijelog sebe fizički. Kurt je pisao pjesme, ali Krist je dao snagu i izdržljivost. Bilo je jako tužno kada je Chad napustio bend, jer je i on radio jako naporno. Kurt je bio super tip. Prošli su teška vremena. To nije bila lagana turneja, 36 nastupa u 41-om danu, koliko se sjećam. Naš bend je prošao puno toga skupa. Iskustvo koje će trajati ostatak  mog života.

Tad je imao velike probleme u 90-ima: poster s Bill Clintonovim loncem za pušenje govoreći: Ovo je teško sranje, PEPSI logo na snimci, video za Wood Goblins zabranjen na MTV-u, muškarac dira ženska prsa na naslovnici albuma. Zašto je to s Bill Clintonom bila velika stvar, mislim živiš u demokratskoj državi, da li je to povreda slobode govora? Da li je to iskonski duh rock n roll pobunjika? To se pojavljuje na DVDu Busted Circuits and Ringing Ears kao subjekt. Molim te reci nešto o tome, i o tome kako je DVD izašao.

Bill Clinton poster nije bio veliki problem u stvarnosti. Mi smo mislili da je bio jako dobar poster. Nažalost, netko povezan s našom scenom u to vrijeme odlučio je da je poster loš, uvredljiv, i iskoristio je to protiv nas, da nas makne sa scene ili nešto slično, tako da je ta negativna priča krenula. Pravi razlog je nešto sasvim drugo i jako komplicirano, ali taj razlog nije bio dovoljan da nas maknu, tako da su upotrjebili taj poster kao pravi razlog protiv nas. DVD je bio projekt koji je Tad organizirao uz pomoć King of Hearts Productions, koji je vodio naš dobar prijatelj Ryan Short, koji je napisao scenarij i režisirao ga. Ryan zalužuje sve pohvale što je uspio sastaviti dokumentarac i što je napravljen vrhunski.

Tijekom godina, Tad je snimio dosta video snimaka benda na našim putovanjima i u studiu. Ryan je uzeo sve te snimke i izvukao ono najbolje iz njih. Napravio je super posao. Imali smo sreću da je Tad skupljao te snimke . Znao u svojoj glavi da će mu te snimke zatrebati, i napokon je pronašao osobu da njegovu zamisao provede u djelo.

I za kraj, šta je novoga u Seattlu? Soundgarden je imao prvo okupljanje s Tad-om kao frontmenom zamjenjujuči Chris Cornella, i sada su na turneji, promovirajući novi album, Mark Lanegan ima uspješnu solo karijeru, Krist Novoselić je političar, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam i Melvins i dalje nastupaju. Da li će ikad biti TAD okupljanje? Da li ima još dobrih bendova u Seattlu, da li nastavljaju “Grunge tradiciju” i što misliš o oživljavanju grunge scene?

Nedjeljivo od Seattla, izraz tog vremena i mejsta s vrlo malo lukavstva i bez namjere. To uključuje gitare, urlajuće vokale, nabrijane, minorne modele melodija sa pomješanom pankerskom energijom.

Muzika živi i dalje, i mnogi ljudi koji su je stvarali također su živi, kao i neki bendovi. Da li će TAD sljediti trend i ujediniti se, pitanje je svakog. Važna stvar je to da svi koji su bili dio TAD-a i dalje su dio glazbe u jednom ili drugom obliku. Bilo bi vrlo dobro ujediniti se zbog samih fanova i samih pjesama, ali ja čisto sumnjam da će se to ikad deisiti.

Tad se upravo vratio s turneje po Europi sa Brothers of the Sonic Cloth uz potporu njihovog najnovijeg izdanja. Fokusiran je na posao s tim bendom kao i  na snimanju kojeg radi u svom Witch Ape studiu. Zauzet je s tim i to super. Ja sam zauzet sa svojim stvarima. Fokusiran sam na mom poslu s Vaporland, koji je u procesu pisanja našeg drugog albuma, kojeg će mo početi snimati vrlo brzo, u novom studiu Strange Earth u Seattlu. Također sam zauzet pisanjem svoje knjige, u kojoj pišem o mom glazbenom iskustvu na Seattle glazbenoj sceni, memoare koje osim mojih iskustava u glazbi istražuju pitanja kao sjećanja, ovisnost, oporavak, mitova i pripovijesti.

Sve je moguće. Ali ako se TAD okupljanje ikada dogodi, za to će morati biti pravi razlog, kao i onaj trenutak kad smo se osnovali, pravi razlog. Tko zna ? Ja sam pisac i glazbenik. Ja uvijek pišem i sviram glazbu. Da znam što će se dogoditi, ne bih bio umjetnik, bio bih prorok. Nisam znao ni prije, kada se TAD prvi puta okupio. Osim toga, ne radi se o znanju, već istraživanju. To je ono što je uzbudljivo.