| Phillip is a prolific musician hailing
from Nashville, TN, now hanging out in Chicago while his latest band
The Queers, are taking a break from their world tour. Phil started
playing guitar in the speed Metal Hardcore band Caustic Solutions back in
the late eighties at the ripe old age of 16. He then started his power
Punk Rock band the Teen Idols that had a long ten year plus run, playing
in several continents and abruptly breaking up among differences within
the band. Phil is just taking a break before he heads to Australia
for a couple of weeks. Phil took some time to conduct this interview
via email with MSIG. Hey, Australians, go see the Queers! MS 10/28/05 MSIG: So you have been at this a long time? When did you first start to play guitar? PHIL: My mom taught me a few chords when I was 3 years old, but I didn't really get serious about it until I was about 13. 
MSIG:Why did you learn to play your first instrument..? PHIL: I come from a very musical family. I guess it's in my blood! MSIG: When you started did you think you would get this far? PHIL: I always just played for fun, so I never really thought about it. MSIG: Pick two or three bands that influenced you the most? PHIL: The Misfits, AC/DC, The Ramones... and many more! MSIG: What do you think of the Exploited? PHIL: I liked them when I was about 15 or 16, but I guess my musical tastes have matured a little over the years. It's still fun to listen to "Sex and Violence" and "Dogs of War". It's like a blast from the past! MSIG: What is your biggest thrill on the road playing in a band? PHIL: Seeing people really enjoying the music that I created, especially in countries where they barely speak English. MSIG: Which country was that and how was their response to you? PHIL: I guess Japan was the coolest. The Japanese fans are great! They really love music. MSIG: So tell us about the last couple of tours with the queers? PHIL: We just did two months in the U. K. and Europe and a 6 week long Midwest / West Coast tour. We're leaving on Halloween night for our first Australian tour. No rest for the wicked! MSIG: How long will you be in Australia? Are you going to New Zealand too? PHIL: The first Australian show is on Nov. 3rd and the last one is on the 12th. Unfortunately, we're not going to New Zealand this time. MSIG: How did you come to be in the Queers? PHIL: When I'm not playing "rock star", I'm an audio engineer at Sonig Iguana Studios in Lafayette, Indiana. I worked on the Queers album "Pleasant Screams" and ended up writing and singing a bunch of the back-up vocals. I've been friends with Joe Queer since 1994, so when it came time to support the album with a tour, they asked me to play second guitar and sing the back-ups. Since then there have been some line-up changes and I'm now on bass guitar. MSIG: Tell us about how the Queers were playing in the south and the cops showed up and confiscated all your merchandise? PHIL: Oh boy... We were playing a show in Heflin, Alabama at a house that had all of the walls torn out on the inside and a stage built in the corner. About 5 or 6 songs into our set the cops walked in and started giving our merch girl a hard time. We were still on stage playing and I noticed that the cops were starting to take the boxes of t-shirts that we were selling outside. We stopped playing and Joe asked the cops what was going on over the microphone. They asked us if we had a business license to sell t-shirts. Joe is living in Atlanta now, but I don't think he's had too much experience with redneck cops in Alabama. Joe said, "Hey man, come on! It's not like we're the Rolling Stones!" and the cop said, "Yeah? Well you're not in Atlanta anymore either!". I responded by saying, "Let's hear it for the great, progressive state of Alabama! Advancing the nation one city at a time! See what your "Bush-votes" get you?". Basically, they were pissed because our t-shirts said "The Queers" on them and we were selling them to "kids". I'm sure if they had said "Southern Heritage" with a rebel flag, or"K.K.K. - The Original Boys in the Hood", it wouldn't have been an issue. We asked them if the old lady down the street needed a business license for her yard sale, because that's basically all we were doing. They didn't listen to anything else that we had to say. They arrested the 18 year old kid that was promoting the show and took him to jail, where he spent the night. Apparently, he has had a lot of problems in the past few months with the same cops. The show that he put on right before ours was raided by a S.W.A.T. team! Joe eventually had to pay the $50 for a business license in Heflin, Alabama. He drove an hour back to Heflin from Atlanta after the tour was over and met with the police chief. They told him that, even though he had the license, they had to hold the shirts for "evidence" in the 18 year old promoter's court case. There were over 200 shirts in those boxes! We sell those shirts for $10 each, so that's over $2000 worth of merchandise that we still owed the t-shirt company for. The most recent development in this fiasco is that the promoter's court date had to be rescheduled because he was breathing fire on stage at some show, caught himself on fire, and had to have skin grafts on his face and neck! So, as of this date we still don't have the damn t-shirts, but we have a business license in Alabama! MSIG: I know you aren't but for the record are you queer? heh, heh... PHIL: I love the ladies! No one in the Queers is actually gay. The name is meant to shock and offend! MSIG: Everyone wants to know what happened to your band Teen Idols? PHIL: It basically ended in a huge fight between the rest of the members and myself. We're still on bad terms. I wouldn't hold your breath for a reunion! MSIG: Oh come on, even Pink Floyd played a reunion show! PHIL: If anyone's waiting for that, they can hold their breath as long as they like! MSIG: So tell us about the "first dib's" club that you have going with Laslow Corpuscle? PHIL: The first rule of the "first dibs" club is not to talk about the "first dibs" club. 'Nuff said. 
MSIG: What's the second rule? PHIL: There isn't one! MSIG: You have been to how many countries touring with bands? PHIL: Japan, Brazil, most of Europe, soon to hit Australia, Canada and of course, the good ole U.S. of A. MSIG: What was your favorite? PHIL: U.S.A., U.S.A.!!! MSIG: What was the suckiest? PHIL: I'll have to say Canada, because I'm not allowed back into the country! MSIG: Oh do tell us why you are not allowed in Canada? PHIL: I have a criminal record involving "assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury". They actually told me that I was too dangerous to be around Canadian citizens! MSIG: What do you think of our president? PHIL: Not my President! MSIG: If you could move to another country, and they would have you, what would it be. PHIL: Maybe Southern Ireland. MSIG: Why? PHIL: I'm of Irish heritage and it reminds me of my home in Tennessee. MSIG: You are in your thirties, where do you see yourself in 10 years? PHIL: I live for the moment. I don't think that far ahead. I'm surprised I've been around this long! MSIG: If you could fuck any model or actress, who would it be? PHIL: The hottest one that offered! My personal taste is for tall, beautiful blondes. MSIG: Name three up an coming bands that you have played with in the last couple of tours? (Some bands that you thought were cool?) PHIL: The Independents have been long overlooked. The Methadones are fucking great. The Copyrights are another good band. MSIG: Finally, what do you think of the Misfits? PHIL: The Misfits are my favorite band of all time. It's a real shame that they suck now. MSIG: What's the better odds, a Misfits reunion with Glenn, Doyle, Jerry and Robo or the Teen Idols reunion? PHIL: With Doyle now playing with Glenn, and Jerry and Doyle being brothers, I would have to say the Misfits reunion is far more likely! MSIG: Ok, Another question. Who's the biggest asshole you ever met? PHIL: In the punk rock world I would have to say Cliff Huntington, the ex-guitarist of the Christian punk band (what an oxymoron), The Huntingtons. In the "real" world, there are too many to mention! MSIG: What about Laslow Corpuscle? PHIL: What can I say about Laslow that hasn't been said before? MSIG: Thanks Phillip! PHIL: Thanks for the interview!  Back to TOP. |
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