After a GREAT display of thrash metal madness, NUCLEAR ASSAULT were kind enough to speak with me about thier plans for their new album, and how their reunion came to be. John was cool as hell, and we got drunk together, thanks to JD and some beer. Dan added some comments here and there. This was a very interesting and fun interview, even though the background music was too loud. Enjoy...here's what DAN LIKER and JOHN CONLEY had to say.
Interview by Anthony
ANT: Okay guys...ready??
DAN: (goofy voice) The band was formed in 1984...
ANT: No...I’m not gonna ask all those stupid questions. I was going to ask you guys if you wanted a beer...but I think we’ve had enough
DAN: Well, for the record, yes, ‘cause I’m not seeing straight.
ANT: This is for John: While N.A. was on hiatus I guess you were in a band called right bastard.
JOHN: Yea
ANT: What was that band all about? I’ve never heard of it or heard their material or anything. Do you think you can elaborate on that for me?
DAN: That’s a good microphone.
JOHN: It was a Blues band!
ANT: It was a Blues band?
JOHN: Yea.
ANT: Really? Where were you guys based out of?
JOHN: Well we all lived in New Orleans. So I guess we were based out of New Orleans.
DAN: It was time to have some fun again.
ANT: Time to have some fun again?
DAN: YUP!
ANT: You weren’t having fun in Brutal Truth?
DAN: It was fun until it got not to be fun. But that has nothing to do with why we are doing this.
ANT: So, ok umm.
DAN: I was going to elaborate but...
ANT: Yeah…go ahead man.
ANT: What about you John. Is Right Bastard still an ongoing thing for you on the side or is it just all N.A. now?
JOHN (singing to background music) Sorry....Right Bastard was a fun project...blues project. I don’t know….the guys from the record company, Screaming Ferret Records, thought it through….I don’t see it happening, but.....I strongly recommend any singer to go back to the blues basics to really learn how to sing….’Cause going back to blues basics for me improved my vocal skills.
ANT: Right Bastard material...Is that available domestically or is that like an independent deal?
JOHN: There is no "DEAL". There’s no contract. There ARE demos floating out in cyber space.
ANT: Alright I have to ask you about March Metal Meltdown 4. When you played Metal fest 5 in New Jersey I asked you this from within the crowd…I wanted to know why you guys got dicked out of having a longer set, and if Manowar had some kind of part in that. Cause it seemed like all the crowd was doing was chanting Manowar and all of the sudden I see some guy come out on the stage and you guys are just you know like what the fuck and all of the sudden you got to get off the stage now and it’s “Manowar, Manowar, Manowar” What the fuck?
ANT: OK.
JOHN: The problem with this deal is basically this. The opening acts were all longer than they were supposed to be, and it (time to play) got taken out of the bands that were opening for Manowar directly…us and the band before us. Everybody says “Wow. Manowar cut your set short.” No Manowar didn’t cut our set short. It’s all the bands that opened up that played 5 or 8 minutes too long in their set got cut from our set. It’s got to come out somewhere. So basically it’s a budget. Time’s a budget.
ANT: All right. With that in mind what made you guys decide to play Metal fest 5 if you know it was poor stage management why would you take that chance again? Especially playing Milwaukee now. So if having that experience at Metal fest 4 with poor stage management, why would you go and play the same Metal fest for the same promoter? Is it just for the fans or...
JOHN: (singing with background music) Sorry...I love this song.
ANT: (laughter)
JOHN: Why would we play the metal fest? Hmmm.
ANT: I guess for the fans or?
JOHN: Well #1 it’s a gig. My point if view... You are asking me why would we play the Milwaukee Metal fest right? That’s the question.
ANT: Yea with your bad experience from Metal fest 4 why do the same show with the same promoter if there is a chance you are going to get dicked like that again.
JOHN: Not for nothing Jack Koshik...he’s been real to us for almost like 15 years. It’s his show. It’s like yea were going to do the fucking show. It’s like fuck man. Is there a possibility we are going to get dicked? Any gig, every day, and every fucking day you are getting shorted on whatever at a show. Whether it’s a guarantee, whether it’s your whatever...as minimalist as ours is...or ANYTHING. So it’s like Jack Koshik is bringing us in so it’s like yea we are going to go do it.
ANT: Ok.
JOHN: Why are we doing it? Cause Jack Koshik says he’s going to make it work, so we’re gonna make it work.
JOHN: Yep!!
ANT: Did you guys arrange that yourselves or is it all management that did that? That was a really cool thing you guys did there. Was that all N.A.’s idea or someone just sat down and said hey lets do this, this and there with these bands there?
JOHN: It wasn’t N.A.’s idea.
ANT: It wasn’t.?
JOHN: We were offered a spot on the tour. And yea it was a great tour.
ANT: So the fans probably went fucking nuts about it. I mean I would have if I was there and I saw that.
JOHN: (laughing) I mean I am thinking about over 30 shows its like yea it was a great tour.
ANT: OK. Dumb question I’m sorry.
JOHN: It’s not a dumb question its just WOW…you know, which night??? Like you know Paris...wherever. I’m sorry yea overall the action was excellent.
ANT: Cool. You guys are getting ready to do The Bonded by Metal tour over in Europe. Is there any chance this package could come over to the United States?
JOHN: Nah man. You’re asking the wrong guy.
JOHN: That’s us! That’s us, man…that’s our current bitch.
ANT: Your current bitch? Hahaha ok good answer. I remember at last year’s metalfest you hat came off and as a joke I wanted to know if you now glue you hat to your head or do you just take a chance every night now?
JOHN: I take a chance every night and the hat comes back…the hat DOES come back. It’s actually over there.
ANT: The legendary hat. How long have you had that puppy for? What is it like 15 years or some shit?
JOHN: I don’t even know anymore...
JOHN: Uhh. Oh man...
ANT: I guess what I am asking is do you guys still do this the same way? Or have you changed anything?
JOHN: Let me grab a beer…gimmie a minute. It doesn’t sound so half assed....
ANT: Let me tell you something off the record. If I ask you anything you don’t want to answer don’t answer it.
JOHN: There is no off the record.
ANT: Ok
JOHN: Is that rolling?
ANT: I can stop it if you want.
JOHN: No. Roll it. Roll it.
ANT: Its been rolling.
JOHN: All right. The way we records…we usually have the bulk of the music written and the lyrics get written as we’re recording the album because our lyrics are political. Now, this has backfired on us in the past because sometimes we’re like WOW...I’ve gotta write half the lyrics of the fricken record, five or six songs worth of lyrics in three weeks. We’ve always done it…we’ve always pulled it off. What we are planning on coming out with next we are going in with the concept that you write a song the lyrics are done before we go in the studio.
ANT: Ok. That kind of answered my next question, which was “Do you write lyrics first and then music or vice versa?”, but you just answered that. What are your thoughts on all these new bands popping up in the music biz that sound like Iron Maiden or Judas Priest? Do you think they have a place or do you think they are going to just fizz out? And do you think this is an opportunity for thrash metal to rise above all this shit and get recognized big time again?
JOHN: Honestly, I don’t listen to thrash music.
ANT: Ha. OK.
ANT: Yea she rocks. So that’s the shit your into basically. You’re a classic rock guy that listens to Zeppelin and Foghat and all that stuff.
JOHN: Well Zeppelin yes. Kansas yes
ANT: Ok enough said. What did you think about tonight’s show?
JOHN: Little disappointed.
ANT: Disappointed? That’s a surprise answer. Why were you disappointed? You had a lot of fans there singing into the microphone for you. I thought the place had a pretty decent turnout. Why were you disappointed?
JOHN: That’s because of my asthma attack. Having trouble breathing….can’t sing… Trouble.
ANT: Let me tell you something, when you asked if anyone had an asthma inhaler I wish I had mine on me because I have asthma too
JOHN: And I wasn’t kidding around man
ANT: I am always having attacks and I never have the damn thing on me so I know exactly what you are talking about.
JOHN: You know what fucks my ass is people think I’m kidding…it’s like (laughs) YEAH!!!
ANT: Are you Ok now?
JOHN: No.
ANT: Fuck. All right.
DAN: Maybe we should give him CPR
JOHN: EASY…I got what I wanted for the night…(laughs)
ANT: What influences you as a songwriter? Where do you draw you influences?
JOHN: Politics.
ANT:Just politics?
JOHN: Yeah…read the New York Times, man. If you need to figure out…okay.... NA as a band, as a political instrument...it’s a protest. It’s a question that becomes “what do you protest against?” Honestly, our problem is there’s too much. It’s like, you know, FUCK. We used to try to like...our albums had a thrust…like this album had a point to it, a point of view...you know..."By the way...not for nothing". This is how it is. Assuming the material I have written gets on to the next album as planned, the issues addressed are...we’re making them like the United States…this country in the past has supported really horrific dreams...Africa and the Middle East. And now we’re going in there and we’re gonna come in and make them into good. That was the past...it was never meant to be bad.
ANT: With that in mind for the next N.A. album do you plan on planning anything for the current events like the 9/11 attacks or anything like that?
JOHN: The 9/11 attacks...
DAN: ...I got distracted...I’m sorry. I’ve got some drinks here
ANT: You want me to get out of your seat?
DAN: No...it’s cool man. I can answer questions now...I don’t feel like sitting down right now; I’m so tired, if I sit back down I’ll fall asleep.
JOHN: (Sweet Home Alabama begins playing over the speakers)…TURN IT UP!!! I spent most of 9/11 trying to find out if most of my family was okay. So there is like a song dedicated to the events of 9/11.
ANT: What can fans expect from the next N.A. album? Any special twist or something different?
JOHN: If you’ve ever listened to a NA album, you know you’re not gonna hear anything new. You’re gonna hear something like tonight...TONIGHT was great.
ANT: Yeah, it was. Actually I have had one of the best times I have had in a long time.
JOHN: Pretty cool. Again I’m having an asthma attack. I can’t sing, and I’ve got these kids...guys in the front singing for me.
ANT: Is there anything you would like to add for the people who are going to read this interview on the Unstoppable Force Webzine? Something you would like to throw out or say or any words of advice …whatever.
JOHN: Don’t drop out of school. A G.E.D. is not easier to achieve than a High School diploma.
ANT: Ok. Well John thank you very much for taking the time to do this.
DISCOGRAPHY
Game Over - 1986
Brain Death - 1986
The Plague - 1987
Survive - 1988
Fight To Be Free - 1988
Handle With Care - 1989
Live at the Hammersmith Odeon - 1989
Out of Order - 1991
Something Wicked - 1993
Alive Again - 2003
LINKS
ANT: Well that answers that question. What made you guys finally reform after all these years?
DAN: I can only speak for myself but, it wasn’t until last year that I really felt I would have time to dedicate the time to do this right in other words not be playing in another band full time where you have to dived your responsibilities and schedule so...I don’t care if I have to go home and get a job every now and then but beside The ravenous which is just a project band this is the only band that’s I’m an active in so I wanted to wait until I had time. But that’s just me.
JOHN: NO...NO...NO. It had nothing to do with Manowar. All right? Honestly. It had to do with poor stage management. Poor stage management. Manowar sets their time: we go on at this time and we end at this time. Someone says what about me?! Fuck man! Anthrax was a garage band opening for fucking Manowar, back when they were doing this in the day.I mean, you know…..
ANT: I’d like to ask you about the No Mercy festivals tour you guys did. Was it last month? April I’m sorry. You guys did that tour with Testament and a bunch of other trash metal bands?
ANT: All right. Screaming Ferret records. Is that you current label or is that just a division?
ANT: That’s cool. I was reading on your website that you guys are in the studio and you are recording a new album everything kind of flows all at once where you’ve got lyrics going on over here and music on over here and jumbled shit. Is that still going on today?
JOHN: I am a classic rock guy. And uh yea it’s kind of odd. A couple of years back all the guys then needed to book this stuff was like old metal stuff that you guys just knew was coming back...that was my whole exposure to like wow..........Got to love Janis.