This interview was taken by The Rev. Dan from ©
Dead Boy Productions.
You can view the original interview at :
http://www.deadboypro.com/mad-dog-cole.html
Released on 19th of January 2009.
Well we here at deadboypro.com know who Mad Dog Cole is, but for those who don’t know who you are, could you shed a little light about yourself?
 Well, my name is Mark Cole, the original frontman of the psychobilly group The Krewmen. It was my voice on The Adventures of the Krewmen, Sweet Dreams & Into the Tomb. I was heavily into Psychobilly for about three years before I met the band. They were at that time a straight forward Rockabilly trio, but I changed all that! I knew if they wanted me to be involved with the group, it could only be a Psycho sound, because nothing else did it for me.......I started writing the lyrics, while Tony began the music. It all happened quickly really, with the recording contract arriving very soon after the demos' were sent out. The all new Krewmen were born, only this time round, it had the MadDog fronting it. The rest is kind of history!!
Your latest album “Ultra Violence” has been out for a little over a year, how has everything worked out for you?
Everything about Ultra Violence has been positive. The original concept was something I had "burning" in my mind for some time, but with the advent of meeting Jim Jeffries, it all started falling into place. In came Paul "Choppy" Lambourne and Lee "The Sperm" Barnett, and the MadDog sound was formed. It's kind of like the old days, but we are stronger, harder and have more balls than back in the original band. My voice is exactly the same, only much more powerful now. I get so many questions and inquiries about the sound and my voice back then......all I can say is come see a show and judge it for yourself! |  |
What made you want to do “UltraViolence”?
Honestly? I have NEVER got over not being on stage for 20 years, and back in October 2006 when Lomax (Psychobilly-Online) asked the question: "Are you the REAL MadDogCole?", I said yes, it's really me, I had over 700 emails in under 24 hours from the worldwide scene. That was something very special to me, as I had no idea what sort of interest I had generated back in the 80's with The Krewmen. The recording contract was offered almost immediately, and all in all, I'm very happy with the end result. The next album is going to be mental old school, with my voice in full swing!
You seem to have reached great success with Crazy Love, however the distro in the states is not the best with European psycho labels. Have you ever thought of trying to establish yourself here in the states with an American label?
Yes, I do need to source an American label. As you say, the European guys pretty much have the scene tied up. I am open to contact from anyone in the USA that thinks they can drive our exposure forward. I am more excited about the second album than I was the first!! The American market is always high on ANY musician’s priorities, and we are no exception to that rule. So if any interested parties are reading this, please contact me or my team directly so we can discuss the future plans of MadDogCole. We are also looking for Japanese contacts, so again, email me on the website,
http://www.maddogcole.com, and we can try to work some magic.
A lot of fans of psychobilly in the us are still looking for new bands to check out, some of these kids have just been turned on within the past year. You are from the old school, you have seen a lot of bands in your time, and if you can point them in the right direction for us…who should they be checking out?
Well, unlike some people in the scene, I never comment on anything negative. I don't profess to know HOW or WHY the scene works, it just does. There are many big name bands I like personally, but as for new blood, I think the likes of Kitty In A Casket (Austria) should have an eye kept on them. Also, young bands like Henry and The Bleeders (UK) are getting there. I get so many bands asking me to advise them on sound, set-up, presence etc, but these are things that the band needs to find for themselves. That's where the new sounds come from. It’s very flattering having so many vocalists trying to copy me, it really is, but what works for me is probably because of who I am. I have also been contacted by some BIG names in the scene saying if it weren't for me, they would never have gotten into music. It’s those sorts of comments that make this so worthwhile for me.
Sticking with the idea of you and your longevity in the scene, in a past interview you said that you felt the scene has progressed in a positive direction, a lot can happen in a year, do you still feel the same way?
Pretty much, yes. I get so many emails etc. from people/bands wanting my opinion of demos they send me. Some of them good, some not so good. Like any band, I do not like being messed with. If we are booked, then we will play! Some "promoters" in the scene try to make as much money as possible from shows, and then wonder why the scene goes quiet for a while. The chances are, nobody is ever going to become a millionaire from Psychobilly, (Though I live in hope!) but even though to us the scene seems massive, in reality, it is just fairly concentrated pockets throughout the world, putting on shows and festivals when they can. That's enough to ensure the survival of our music. To those people, I thank you.
Have you had a chance to take a look at what kind of scene is being built out here in the States?
The scene in the US seems very diverse to me. I would love to become a part of it, as it would allow me to become slightly more experimental with the sound. Jim is fantastic at transposing my written lyrics/music into a structured song, and that is why we work so well together. He knows exactly how I sing, (Obviously!), so this makes for a well focused sound. I am well into writing the follow up album to Ultra Violence, and am real happy with the way it is going. There is no title for the album as of yet, but now I know the sound my voice is capable of, it’s going to be a killer of an album!
A lot of bands from Europe have been trying to get out to the US and build on a fan base that they have already established (in Europe), does that seem like something you would like to do in the future?
Funny you should say that, because we have just been booked to play L.A in February 2009! Hopefully, by the time this goes to press, all the details will be online for you guys to see. I am currently working with a promoter within the LA scene, and we are going to give them a show they just will not forget for a very long time.....All the Krewmen classics are in the set, and even if I do say so myself, they sound so much more ballsy and powerful than they did originally. This is one show you guys REALLY don't want to miss!! This will hopefully establish us out in the US, because you guys have always been important to me, and even though I never made it out there in the 80's, I feel like I've kind of always been a part of your scene. It’s going to be mental, and I really can't wait to rock you guys!!
So will this show in LA be the only one here for you in the US for right now or is there somewhat of a tour lined up?
At this moment in time, we are planning this ONE-OFF show to generate as much interest in the band as possible. A tour would be great, but I need to see how the American market reacts to the band. I get hundreds of emails from the US, and if that is any sort of gauge, then things are going to be wild!! I've been told there are some furious rumors now going around L.A about our show........... Make sure you keep up to date with announcements on
http://www.maddogcole.com After February, I can judge the overall reception and see if it is viable to arrange a tour. Again, anyone interested in booking, tour arranging etc, please email me on the website. America has always been my primary goal since my return, and the whole of Europe KNOWS you will get a killer show. Forget everything else on the 14th of February,..... Come and experience The MadDog !
So I guess if you live on the east coast you should get your ass to LA huh?
Definitely!! I am hoping to arrange something on the east coast as well in the very near future, but as I say, I need to assess the realism of the scene for us out there. Never say never! We were asked about playing in NY last year, but it never came off. Maybe after Feb they will seriously start looking at getting us ALL OVER the states!
There hasn’t been a psychobilly band that has been big enough to catch the eye of psychobilly fans in Europe since The Quakes (starting in the 80’s) , has there been any bands out of the US who have caught your eye?
The likes of Bamboula, Tabaltix and of course my old friend Mark Burke from The Phantom Rockers. It was great to see him again back in 2007 at the Calella Psychobilly Festival. He even had a go at me because he said he joined The Krewmen after being told I was still the frontman..... I had left MONTHS before he joined them!! Ha ha ha. Nah, he's a top bloke, as are all the guys I speak to regularly from the US. I also like a certain US horror-style group, but ain't going to mention their name in fear of being slagged off! lol. The US scene appears to be healthy all round, so once we hit L.A, there will be no stopping us!
Satanic stomp is coming…looking forward to that?
The Satanic Stomp is always a fantastic event. Anyone from the US planning on attending will never be unsatisfied. The organizer, Lonesome, (Mental Hell), is a fantastic guy, a friend, and probably above all, a real lover of Psychobilly music. He approached me to play my first live show in 20 years, and for that, I will always be grateful. That is why it is always guaranteed to be a great event. When he watched my sound check during the 2007 event, he said the sound of my voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.........It must have been his neck, cos he is a bald mutha****** Ha ha ha ha.....Seriously though, he's an excellent guy, and works hard to make the Satanic Stomp a focal point for European Psychobilly.
Well I do thank you for taking the time to talk with us and we hope that you have great success with your band. Is there anything else you would like to say?
As a final point, I would just like to reinforce the fact that we are going to be in L.A on February 14th. Miss this, miss out! If you had anything else planned, cancel it. The stage is gonna rock to the original Krewman voice, and we know it’s going to be a mind-blowing event. Keep up to date with all things MadDog at:
http://www.maddogcole.com
http://www.myspace.com/maddogcole07
http://www.myspace.com/maddogcole06
skype: maddogcole1
Thanks to the creators and moderators on the MadDogole forum & Website.
Stage jackets supplied by Adam at
http://www.supernal-clothing.co.uk
Also, any interested American sponsors can contact the team at: sponsors@maddogcole.com
Thanks guys, hope to see ALL of you in Feb 09, and stay psycho!!
