Triplefastaction....Rock Power #4

Tripl3fastaction has been a favorite of Rock Power crue since we first saw them December 31, 1994 at the Double Door in Chicago, IL. Since then, they've toured, recorded an album, toured, and toured. After many delays, Capitol Records released their album, Broadcaster on April 7. We talked to lead singer, guitarist, and all-around nice guy Wes Kidd about a week earlier.

rp: So, what are you guys doing out in L.A.?

WES: We're playing out on tour with Everclear for a couple of weeks and just doing that Hollywood thing, y'know. The whole scene out here is pretty stupid but that's the deal. You gotta do it.

rp: Have you seen Poison out there yet?

WES: (laughs) I wish. I wish I could see C.C. DeVille just sitting on the street playing guitar.

rp: That guy is a monster. Say what you want about Poison, but that guy could whip out those cryin' metal bursts.

WES: Yeah, he knew how to do the right solo at the right time and he had the right guitar for it. He played ever color. They had that one video where they showed off his guitar collection. We need more videos like that again.

rp: You're right. That was noe of the redeeming qualities of glam metal. The flash and the substance.

WES: Yeah...I was just talking to some people that had just ween AC/DC on this tour they're doing right now and they said it was just so refreshing to see a great big rock show. That's why this KISS reunion tour ought to be great. That'll throw the kids for a loop.

rp: Yeah, Iron Maiden just rocked the fuck out of Chicago...

WES: SHUT UP! (laughs)

rp: Man...they blew Chicago away. Sold out show at the Vic.

WES: Are you kidding? That's rock!

rp: ...so anyway... The last time I saw you guys was with Lenny Kravitz. How was that?

WES: That was pretty much an arena rock show. It was fun. I was so nervous about doing it but when we got up there it was all just so stupid. You're so far away from anyone. It kinda felt like we were at practice...but it went good. It was a very rock event. Oh, and then Prince showed up backstage.

rp: No way! Thee Prince? Holy shit!

WES: Thee Prince...I didn't wee him but Brian (St. Clair, drums) walked like three feet away from him. He had these limos outside and they were just crammed with really old men. So Michael Jackson goes for young boys and Prince goes for old men, I guess.

rp: Did you get to hang out with Lenny?

WES: Not at all (laughs). He showed up for soundcheck, his band played one riff over and over for fifty minutes, they stopped, and that was it. We were like, "What the fuck?!" But that was a fun show. It was such a rock scene.

rp: ...well...I like your record a lot. It's my favorite release since Fig Dish.

WES: Oh, thanks. Fig Dish rules!

rp: How far back does the history of the band go?

WES: About three years. Me and Brian have been playing together since we were like twelve. We were in a band called Political Justice that put out a single like a million years ago, and then I joined Rights of the Accused. Then Brian joined Rights after that. When that band went sour, I got the balls to sing and that's when we started this band.

rp: What were your first few shows like?

WES: (laughs) Really bad. I had been working on songs on the side while I was in other bands. So I already had a bunch of songs written. Brian and I have been playing together for so long that whenever I start playing something, he just catches on. I lucked out and found our bass player, Kevin (Tihista). He just makes everything sound ten times better. Things happened kinda quick and it took usa while to learn how to play a hsow. Our first show was at Cubby Bear because a friend of mine's brother booked the place, so I begged him. Actually our first two shows were there. From there we did Thurston's and Elbo Room...all those places. [editors note- How come he didn't say anything about Ronnie, wassup with that?]

rp: Who came up with the name?

WES: Kevin did. To tell you the truth, I hate it. But a lot of people like it. It comes from that Gold Bond powder infomercial. Triple Fast Action power or something like that. But now we're stuck with it.

rp: I heard you guys were really good musicians even before I saw you guys live. You had that reputation of having a lot of chops...other bands would talk about you guys and stuff. I was kind of leery because all of my favorite bands, like KISS and Cheap Trick, are the ones with real catchy, real good songs. They aren't always the best musicians.

WES: Well, I'm a horrible musician myself. I'm serious. I've been playing guitar forever. I should be like Steve Vai by now, but I can't do anything. I'm like you. I've always been a song guy. I grew up on Cheap Trick and KISS. Brian is a great drummer but if you ask him to play some weird beat he can't do it. He knows how to hit real hard and keep it real solid and that's about as far as it goes. Somehow we're faking our way through this whole thing.

rp: But you guys have some pretty complex changes...

WES: We had to work on that a lot because I tend to get stuck in that 4 chord, 4 times, verse, chorus thing. We had to work at making the songs more interesting.

rp: Is there going to be a feeling of semi-relief now that the record is coming out?

WES: It'll feel so great. I want to succeed or fail, I don't care. I just want the chance. We've been sitting on this record for so long. We started recording the record last Febuary ('95). Everything, the music and the vocals, was done in a month. The guy started mixing it and it sounded like shit. I freaked out. It sounded like a bad demo. If you ever want to hear the original mixes I'll give them to you. You'll just freak out. You'll know what I'm talking about. So the guy stoped. We were like, "What the fuck do we do? Do we have to start over? Do we have to spend a million dollars to do all this crazy shit to fix this?" We ended up getting this guy John Agnello to mix it and it sounded great. That's when scheduling problems started. We had to wait for John because he was mixing a thousand different bands. A couple songs ("Revved Up" and "Sally Tree") sounded a little squirrely in the end so we redid those with Brad Wood, and we had to wait for him for months. Then Capitol released The Beatles. Capitol, for being a big label, really isn't all that big. When they release the first Beatles single in 25 years everything else gets put on hold. So I kinda bit my lip and lived through the Christmas season. I started to get worried because you hear all those things about bands who get signed and have records that never come out. In the back of my mind I kept saying, "Am I getting screwed?" But at least it's coming out now. Just the fact that people can go to a record store and our record will be in there. Just having a record out. We've accomplished at least that. Even my parents are proud of me.

rp: Well, like I said, it's a really good record. It's very layered and listenable. It's kinda hard in this "alternative rock" genre to make a record that stands out. It's really a sea of shit out there.

WES: To put it mildly (laughs). We wanted to do the songs as true to the band as we could. It was our first chance to make a record and we wanted to use all the toys and tricks that you can when you're in a really nice studio. I really thought out the record a lot. I knew certain things I wanted to do with certain songs. I didn't want it just guitars but I didn't want it to get too far away from the basic song. All the little things, y'know. That just comes from listening to the Beach Boys. There's so many good bands that just give you ten songs, and that sucks. Unless you're The Ramones, then it's great. But the best records are the ones you can listen to beginning to end and enjoy the whole piece. That's what we tried to do and I'm fairly happy with it.

rp: Were there any songs that came about during the recording?

WES: "Bird Again" was written when we were in the studio. It was something we had goofed around with but never quite put together. And it ended up being one of my favorite songs on the record. The other ones have been around since the band started. "Revved Up" was one of the first songs we wrote. I always wanted a girl to sing the chorus and have it be this cheezy little call and return kind of thing.

rp: Is that Nina Gordon singing on there?

WES: Oh, I can't tell you that. (laughs) I'm serious, it's a stupid management thing. But you know.

rp: That's what I figured. I was just making sure.

WES: Yeah. Everybody's going to know, it wont be a secret. It's so stupid.

rp: Why didn't you put "Ronnie's Pants" on the record?

WES: There were a lot of songs that we didn't put on the record simply because there wasn't enough space. That was one of them. We've got a ton of other shit. If you want I'll send it to you.

rp: That'd be real cool.

WES: Yeah...We recorded 22 songs and a cover of "Mr. Blue Sky" by E.L.O. that we did on all synthesizers. We don't even bother playing too many covers because Fig Dish is already doing them way better than we ever could.

rp: Those guys busted out "Devil Went Down to Georgia"...

WES: Oh, I heard that when they played the Metro the last time. That was great. They're geniuses. They can do it at a drop of a hat. I've seen them just pick up their instruments and do it.

rp: That's sick...man, sometimes I wake up in the morning and think what it must be like to be in Fig Dish.

WES: (laughs) Me too.

rp: So was "Revved Up" the universal choice for the first single?

WES: Not really. The thing about "Revved Up" is that it can come off real quirky and gimmicky to some people and maybe give them the wrong idea about the band at first listen. Especially if you don't have the record or hadn't seen us live. We were talking about using "Bird Again" or "Anna Get Your Gun," but our favorite song from the old demos was "Revved Up," so we stuck with that. As far as the radio goes it's probably the most catchy.

rp: it's kinda criminal to overlook "American City World," though...

WES: Y'know...I'm glad you said that. I think it sounds kinda massive. And the label hasn't really said anything about it.

rp: They must be on some bad dope then. That's my favorite song on the record.

WES: (laughs) That's one of our best live songs too.

rp: It's got that dual guitar lead like "Detroit Rock City".

WES: (laughs) Yeah...hopefully we'll use it for a single.

rp:How are you going to approach the video thing? Because there are some really great bands, like Fig Dish, with really shitty videos.

WES: I'm in video hell right now. They keep giving us these directors' treatments. It's the dumbest thing you've ever read. Exact quotes from these things are like this, "The band looks great...The action is shit hot... They are rocking at maximum intensity." I'm like, "No we're not. What are you talking about?" We're trying to put together something that's us. Real low-tech and kinda funny. But I don't know... This one guy sent us a treatment the other day that I kinda liked. It has us playing on like a local cable access kiddie show. It was clowns and little kids moshing and grabbing at our legs and we have crazy roadies that are kicking little girls off the stage.

rp: Just like Loud Lucy.

WES: (laughs) Oh man...that's hysterical. Oh man...I'm not even gonna answer back to that one... but that video sounded kinda funny. I don't know if I could go for that quirky of a video though...So I guess you have a few feelings about Loud Lucy then...

rp: Not really. I like the songs a lot but I'm not going to their shows anymore...It's like fucking Beatlemania.

WES: No shit? Is it really?

rp: Oh, man...the little girls are all over that guy.

WES: I know. Wouldn't it be nice to be hot and good looking?

rp: Wouldn't it? And hold a guitar.

WES: Yeah exactly. Most of the time holding it over his head.

rp: God, I have to give him props for that, though. No new band will do rock star poses for real. It's cool to do that.

WES: (laughs) That's true.

rp: I was kinda scared that you guys would be one of those bands that I really liked but wouldn't have anything sensational or scandalous to talk about. But in our last issue the guys in Menthol exposed Triple Fast as being decadent, rock 'n' roll lifestyle, Zeppelin to the hilt roadsters.

WES: (laughs) um...I think that's just compared to Menthol that we come off like that. Those guys can't find the toilet paper in the bathroom.

rp: I don't know...they mentioned underaged girls and mooning and drunken binges and hotel trashing...

WES: uh...We had a really good time with them. Menthol is so stupid. I can say this because I'm good freinds with those guys. Those guys are such idiots...They don't even know how to book a hotel or call the club and find out what time to be there. They just walk around in a stupor. So any chance we got, we fucked with them...just acting like frat guys. Menthol...those guys...I could kick all their asses (laughs). I was trying to bring back streaking at a few shows, but I'm not good at it yet. We were playing this huge club in Columbia, Missouri on a Tuesday night and there were like four people there. Menthol were playing and I got buck naked and streaked across the stage. But I ran so fast that all the people saw was this pale flash of white. I've got to get better at it.