Municipal Waste interview

Words by Coops
Photography by Richard West

If you're into metal, you should know this band, but if you are a metal-head and you don't know who these guys are, you need to be slapped, given a dunce hat, be told to sit on a stall in the corner of the room and face the wall!

Municipal Waste are a Thrash/Hardcore/Punk rock band from Richmond, Virginia on the East Coast of America who mix of all your favourite 80's thrash bands with a hint of punk. Ryan (Guitar) and Tony (Vocals) were both available for some words before their sold out show at The Underworld in London from their December tour around Ireland and England with Iron Lung.

So as it's the last day of the tour over here in England, how's it been for you?

Tony: Yeah the tour has been good. It was great to bring Iron Lung, we toured with them before, last summer.

What are Iron Lung like?

Ryan: They're a two piece band. A drummer and guitar player.

Tony: What did DB say about them?

Ryan: They're crack-head metal!

Haha!

Tony: Yeah that's it....another guy said he'd never seen two people make such a racket!

What was up with that bongo picture on Myspace , where you two are playing the bongos?

Tony: Oohhh!!

Ryan: We did an encore in Washington D.C., a bongcore.

Bongcore?

Ryan: Yeah, It was me and Tony doing a rendition of our song "I want to Kill the President", but we changed it to "I want to Chill with the President" and so we did a bongo version of it. Its only on Municipal Waste unplugged........the new record..hehe!!

So how long have you guys been together in the band?

Tony: I'd say 7 but I think its 8 years

Ryan: It'll be 8 in January so nearly over 8 years man.

What's the weirdest show you've ever played?

Tony: Weirdest?...well we played a weird ass show the other night in Dudley, We played in the Big room and it sucked haha!

Why?!Tony: Because it was probably like a 2,000-3,000 capacity venue and only like 150 people showed up. So we were in this big room with not a lot of people, so we made everyone get up on stage while we played, we just had a stage full of people haha!

Ryan: Then Dave our drummer farted and everyone all cleared off.

...and what would you say is the worst?

Tony: We have a bunch of worst shows. We had one show in Germany which was really bad.

Ryan: Leipzig - Ahhh man, all our equipment fucked up.

Tony: Yeah, Leipzig! Usually when equipments gone wrong, it's bad.

Tony: I had no voice, but they did this really cool confetti drop for us and it sucked!!

Ryan: HAHA!!...Yeah, it's was like Anti-climatic, coz we're playing shit and they're "ahh celebrate!"

Tony: We havn't really played a lot of shows where everyone just stands there and looks at us on stage like we're assholes and that was one of the shows where everyone's just standing there thinking "What the fuck are these guys doing?"

Ryan: They were giving us tips on how to fix our equipment or how to sound better.

Tony: haha! Yeah, it's frustrating!

Your gigs are known to be quite rowdy - have you guys ever had any trouble with the 5-0?

Ryan: The cops? Yeah we tried to play house party's and the Police shut it down, so we can't even play in our home town anymore.

Tony: Oh man yeah, I remember one time we were at this show at a festival called Macrock in Harrisonburg, Virginia. And at the time there was this big controversy in the states going on with the Christians and there was this lady who was brain dead and they didn't want her to be killed and it was right when the Pope died. And so they killed this lady....

Ryan: Do you know who her name is?

Tony: Her names Terri Schiavo....and yeah, one of our friends got up on stage and said this speech before we played...hehe!....and he said "Right now the Pope and Terri Shiavo are 69'ing in heaven!!" And this cop flipped out, he was so pissed off and this other cop was like, holding him back!

Ryan: Coz there was actual police at this show.

Tony: Yeah, they were fucking pissed off.

Why did he say that?!

Tony: Coz were just trying to piss people off.

Ryan: Freedom of speech man!

What do you guys think of England when you come over here and play, how is it different from the States?

Ryan: A lot of Beans and toast over here!

Heinz baked beans?

Ryan: Yeah and the beans taste just the same over here.

Tony: I think the crowds at home are more mixed. Theres a lot of punks and metal-heads and over here it seems its more of the metal scene. But metal's so fucking big over here!

It's all about the heart of Metal!

Oh yeah, really it is! But I think that's the only real main difference.

I've got a rough idea to what the answer to this maybe, but what would you say is the best band you guys have ever toured with?

Tony: I think me and Ryan will both agree with Suicidal Tendencies.

Just as I thought....

Ryan: As far as being the most down to earth guys genuinely, their a great band to be on the road with. They were incredible everynight.

Tony: They gave us the place of being main support and it was like, they didn't need to do that. They could have brought on a bigger band and they didn't, they brought us and it when over fucking great.

Stoked!

Tony: Yeah it was real fucking cool man. I don't know, we get along great with a lot of the bands we tour with. I mean we're still great friends with Gwar and Toxic Holocaust...

I remember that picture of you in the toilet next to the dude from Gwar..hehe!

Tony: Oh yeah haha!

Ryan: It's small!

Who would you guys say is the most irritating out of the whole band when your drunk?

Tony: Haha!!...Probably me

Why?! Hehe!

Ryan: He just turns into a baby...a big stinky baby with bad breath!

I remember about a year and a half ago when I first saw you guys, we were over at the Mean Fiddler on Tottenham Court Rd. I think Dave (drummer) was the only responsible person around whilst you guys were just completely out of it...

Ryan: Nah. Dave gets out of control sometimes!

Tony: Yeah man, when he gets drunk, he's by far the most out of control!

Ryan: He beats up his girlfriend.............No I'm joking haha!

Thanks for that! OK let's end this hell. You guys are currently working on the new album now, what's the name of the album and when is it coming out?

Ryan: We don't have a name for it yet, but in the late summer early August it should be out. So we will be back! Hell yeah!

We look forward to it! Thanks a lot for the words. Have a good show!

Ryan: Thanks

Tony: Appreciate it man!

Find Municipal Waste on Earache Records.