|
MM - Introduce the band members to us.
Me (Venus) - Lead singing and guitar
Pandora - Bass and harmonies
Jendeen - Drums
Emily - go-go dancing and harmonies.
MM -
When was the band formed and how did you all meet?
The Band All The Pretty Horses. was formed in 1995 and we put our our
first CD: A.T.P.H. that year. the band was myself, my first drummer: Bill
Bailey, and my original Bass player: Ed Ford.
My original Drummer left the band after the CD's release, and I went
through a few before we took in Matt Batchelor who did our second CD with
us: "Queens & Angels" we also had added a harmony singer for that CD her
name was Jonnycakes.
After the release of "Queens And Angels" I found that the Band needed
to tour, we had an opportunity to tour Europe from a German record label
who was interested in picking us up for the 3rd CD. the contract couldn't
be negotiated well enough for us to feel comfortable, so that fell
through, but it was a catalyst for us to talk about how serious we were
for touring, at which time our drummer Matt, and our Bass player Ed. found
that they wouldn't be able to do the kind of touring we needed to do.
I formed a "Touring Band" which consisted of Jendeen on Drums, who I had
met years ago while doing the Trans-Club scene
 here
in Mpls. She was also a Jazz drummer, quite respected here in Mpls. for a
Big Band called "The Wolverines." (still is in fact.) Anyway I had asked
her to do back up at that time, and was wanting her to do it as "Jendeen"
who is her trans-self name. She liked the opportunity and accepted.
When I needed to form the Touring Band, I of course asked her to do that,
and she also accepted.
I asked Pandora to do Bass for the Touring band. I had met her years ago
as well though my day-job in the screenprint industry. I had asked her to
do occasional fill in bass jobs when my original bass player Ed couldn't
make a gig already, so she know the sets.
She accepted the Touring position. and even though she isn't "trans," she
liked the company and the Glam aspect of it all. (her previous band didn't
like "Glam-Attitude." after about 6 months, it became obvious to us that
my attempting to keep two bands together under the same name was CRAZY! so
I let the original band go, and concentrated on the touring band as the
only band.
Together we put out the 3rd CD: "RUIN" and concentrated on touring to
promote it. As of 2 months ago. Jonnycakes found that she couldn't afford
the time and energy anymore to continue doing the touring, and left the
band.
We've been using go-go dancers for 3 years as part of our line-up, and
Emily has been to almost every one. I asked her if she would be willing to
learn some of the harmonies and expand her position in the band, and she
accepted. Pandora was also interested in taking over some harmonies as
well.
(Long answer...but you asked).
MM -
Where in the world do the band call home?
Minneapolis, US
MM - Describe your music to us and who would it most appeal to?
We call it "Dark-Glam."
So if you think of Glam music...like Early Bowie that's kind of like our
musical style mostly...it's often melodic, not screamy ... very often anyway,
and it's all live music, no pre recorded rhythms or synth tracks.
Musically it's the drums/guitar/bass sound.
Now for the Dark part of it all. that comes in with the Metal edge of our
sound. our music is intense ... it gets really loud, and Guitar heavy. Our
vocals are intense: from very quiet to very impassioned. and the costumes
which we wear are on the S & M Dark side ... but with the Glamour dusted all
over them ... often with feathers, or fake fur ... lots of glitter. and
shimmering skin. (it becomes obvious that I am trans depending on the
amount of costume material start the set with & end the set with.)
"Dark-Glam" ... our audience covers the Goth scene to the old Bowie fans from the Ziggy Stardust days, to the Metal Head-bangers, to the Young
Glamster-Revisionists. (and plenty in-betweens who love hard punky-rock
and a band with fearless, intense stage presence.)
(cute huh?)
MM - You were recently interviewed in Playboy Magazine, how did that
feel to get such recognition from world famous establishment?
Was really interesting to see what the offices looked like. It's all
kind of '60s style glass & wood structured. There's little knick-knack
playboy stuff all around from the 50's and 60's weird.
The interview went well, though the interviewer kind of assumed that our
only audience was the trans-fetish one. we got it all taped on video for
Emily Goldberg's documentary on me and the band due to be released early
next year. Title is "Venus of Mars"
MM
-
The band have just come back from quite a busy tour, how did it go
and are you ready to get back out on the road again?
Very well!, and yes we're doing it all again right now for the Fall. We
just can't get enough of NYC ... the whole Glam-Trans scene out there is a
perfect fit for us. And the in-between spots are a blast. It's hard
work ... but energizing.
MM - Where did the name 'All The Pretty Horses' come from?
I had heard of the title of both the book, and the nursery rhyme "All The
Pretty [Little] Horses" and though I hadn't read the book, I liked the
"Horse" part because I've always had horses in my dreams as kind of dream
spirits, and I also liked the term "Pretty" being used as part of a Rock
and Roll name...kind of challenging the "Tough-Guy" expectations, and
calling attention to the Trans-aspect of our band.
MM - Who designs your CD covers, flyers, logo's etc.?
Mostly it's me. though Pandora is also an artist and she's done some as
well. She designed the Tattoo Logo.
MM - Do you find that a lot of your fans are also transsexuals, or do
you get a good mixture from regular to quite flamboyant?
Actually the transgender crowd is still a bit shy about us...there's a
number of them, (Trans-people,)...but the bulk of our audience is all over
the place. Gender-wise and genre-wise.
MM -
'Ruin' came out earlier this year and this is your third album so far, how
has it been received by your fans?
So far we've heard back that it's the best one we've done so far. They
really like the Live feel we captured with it. The energy we have on-stage
is reflected well.
 |
MM
- Apart from the CD's that the band have out, what other
merchandise is available for us to add to our Xmas list for Santa?
It's all available on our merch page on our site...Hmmm, let's see, we've
been brainstorming on new stuff, but mostly for now, t-shirts, video's of
our live shows, some collectable videos of older shows & line-ups of the
band...Oh, you'll just have to drop in to www.prettyhorses.net & see for
yourself ;) |
MM - If you could meet any one person out of Rock History , alive or
dead, who would it be?
Well I did meet some of my icons, one of our last tours to NYC ... Joan Jett
for one! ... I suppose I'd love to meet David Bowie ... (a friend of mind who
is a curator did meet him...but that's another story,) But I'd like to
meet him not as a fan, but you know, like at some dinner party where he
just happens to be, and so am I, and like someone introduces us saying
something like, "you two should meet ..." You know ... (yeah Yeah
... I
know ... it'll ... never happen!)
MM - What was the last concert you went to?
Patty Smith as she was in town here in Mpls. promoting her CD at First
Ave. Cool show...Nice...but she wasn't too nice to her fans after the show
I'd heard from a friend...too bad. Another friend of mine knows the band
so I had a nice meeting of a few of them...but I don't like to do the
"Meet the Band" right after the gig kind of thing...so I didn't stay
around too long.
MM
-
Which bands do you like to listen to at the present?
I like some of the industrial stuff even if that's not what we do. Nine
Inch Nails.
I like Sisters of Mercy, Stardust Bowie, and some on his new stuff too.
Hmmm, Patty Smith, Sex Pistols...actually heard a cut someone plugged...lemme
see, oh yeah,..."...we're so pretty, Oh, So Pretty...etc." at a juke box
in NYC last weekend while I was out there eating dinner at an Irish pub
around the corner of the Hotel I stay at while I'm in town there...was
nice.
MM
-
Has the internet influenced the way in which the band project their music
and image?
It's made it easier to keep things posted w/out all the mailing
costs...and also helps us get our CD's out there for sale w/out all the
nasty stuff of Big record labels.
MM - Lastly, if you could sum up the band in one short phrase what
would it be?
You just haven't seen anything like us anywhere before.
Official All the Pretty Horses site:
http://www.prettyhorses.net
|
