Month: December 2014

We wanted to know more about Dave Mansfield’s new band The RÖXY SUICIDE, a flamboyant band mixing glam, new wave and early punk!

Dave, we know you from The MANSFIELDS. How and when did The RÖXY SUICIDE start?

The RÖXY SUICIDE started in 2013 in the form that it is now. We went through a few false starts (2012) in trying to find the right people for the band and that proved to be a lot harder than I imagined. How the band got started is pretty simple. I just wanted to keep touring and playing shows and The Mansfields were, at the time, on a definite hiatus. I was getting offers to do a bunch of stuff and I hated saying no so I just put a band together with some random people. As I said, that proved to be a very trying process as I was dealing with unprofessional individuals who didn’t seem to have a clue how things worked or at least how they worked on the level that I function at. The best thing that came out of that was that is how I hooked up with Olieshox who is now The RÖXY SUICIDE’s guitarist.

Wiener/Burger records is releasing a cassette of your first 6 singles. How did that happen? Have you released the singles in other formats before?

I have been aware of Burger/ Wiener for a few years now and I guess the timing was just right for us to hook up. Those guys work really hard and are really doing well at this point. Back in October a few of us went out to Hollywood for a sort of “working” vacation, Disneyland, networking type stuff. The morning after Disneyland I realized Burger Records was like 5 minutes from there so we went over and hung out a bit just to check it out and it was cool. The Singles have been released previously (some digitally, some CD) on Elekktralux Recordings, whom are still handling all the digital end of it.

You have influences ranging from The RAMONES, The CRAMPS to MÖTLEY CRÜE, BLONDIE and SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK just to name a few. Did you have the idea of mixing these influences before starting the band?

No, not at all. In fact, the whole idea originally was to be something in the vein of The Heartbreakers. I love the fact that it came together this way but it was really a bit of a lucky accident.

Have you played many shows so far? Best ones yet? How would you describe your live shows?

We have done a pretty good amount of shows. We’ve done a few with Faster Pussycat, The Queers, Michael Monroe from Hanoi Rocks. You know, just support slots and such. We’ve done a good number of headlining shows as well but the band is still pretty new at this point and our style is just starting to get a little more defined. The shows are high energy and lively. That’s a good way to put it. We subscribe to the “don’t bore us, get to the chorus” philosophy. We do a good job of that.

It’s been 30 years since HANOÏ ROCKS’ drummer Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley died. I know you’re a fan too. Any story to share? How did you first get into HANOÏ?

Unfortunately I don’t have any stories involving Razzle himself, but I do have some of Michael and Sami Yaffa. One night we (The Mansfields) were playing the Cat Club in LA and Sami and Sylvain from New York Dolls showed up. This is when New York Dolls were back on the scene and Sami was playing in the Dolls. Needless to say we hit it off with them and ended up hanging out until they literally threw us out onto Sunset Blvd. after the bar closed. We ended up standing out in front of the Cat Club/ Whisky A Go Go for another hour talking and fucking around. I think what was really ironic about that was I had been watching, in the van, the Bob Gruen film about the Dolls and their first trip to LA when they played like 12 sold out shows at the Whisky. 2 Shows a night for 6 nights or something like that. Then here we are out in front of the Whisky getting all these amazing stories from Sami and Syl. Well, it’s safe to say it’s just sad that Razzle died so young and so long ago. Sometimes it dawns on me how much some of these guys have missed out on ya know? It’s a shame.

You’re interested in rock’n’roll history. What are the last biographies you’ve read? Last documentaries you’ve watched?

Yes I am a huge reader and watcher of these things. Memoirs and documentaries are truly inspiring to me. I think maybe the last bios I read were that of Billy Idol and Alex Chilton. I always have about 5 different books going at once on my tablet or hard copy but usually just one Main book that is new to me as I re-read a lot of stuff. Like I just picked up in the middle of the Heroin Diaries and one of Kat Von D’s books too. I see a lot of documentaries but I’m thinking the last one I watched was either the Alex Chilton/ Big Star one or the making of Ziggy Strardust and the Spiders From Mars.

First and last records you bought?

I recall the first 2 records I ever bought with my own money were Motley Crue’s Shout at the Devil and Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell. In fact, those were also my first two concerts ever. April ’84 Motley Crue at Colorado Springs City Auditorium with Saxon Supporting and August ’84 Billy Idol at Red Rocks with Clash Supporting. Not a bad way to start. Last record I bought was either Deap Vally’s “Sistronix” vinyl or The Cramps “Rocknreelininaucklandnewzealand” live vinyl.

Best shows you’ve seen this year?

Sean Lennon, Motley Crue / Alice Cooper. The RÖXY SUICIDE actually headlined a show with Richie Ramone in Denver and I have to say that was one of the best shows of the year as well. Richie and his band are for real man, super great stuff there and I loved hearing the Richie era Ramones songs live like Smash You, I Know Better Now…Ya know stuff off of Animal Boy, Too Tough To Die and Halfway To Sanity.

The MANSFIELDS recently played a few shows, right?

The Mansfields played a show just before Halloween. First show in 5 years. It’s interesting because we have come back with a new albums worth of songs and some old favorites but it just seemed so easy to do the show, it was effortless. I am now just singing in the band and we have brought on board an organ in lieu of bass. It’s a super cool Crampsesque kind of thing. It’s an amazing new chapter and what’s great about it is we are getting a lot of offers to do bigger stuff without knocking ourselves out for it. I guess we already did an awful lot of hard work over the years, it great to have people now coming around and recognizing that fact.

Are you thinking of bringing The RÖXY SUICIDE to Europe? Any vinyl release planned yet?

Yes, very much planning on bringing The RÖXY SUICIDE to Europe. Can’t wait man, can’t wait. I haven’t toured there since 2008! Long time. I know that the key to coming over there is finishing a full length and of course, can’t tour proper without the vinyl pressings. The songs have to be great…not good but great. It’s a process but we are getting there.

http://www.theroxysuicide.com/
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