29 May 2012
Satanic Midget
Currently touring Europe on the back of their ‘reunion’ shows last year, Kyuss Lives! are facing some legal issues back home in the shape of being sued by former Kyuss band mate and current Queens of the Stone Age leader Josh Homme, along with former Kyuss bassist and Kyuss Lives! collaborator Scott Reeder. For more on the ins and outs of that current situation, click on this link http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kyuss-lives-respond-to-josh-homme-scott-reeders-lawsuit-20120521
I had the pleasure of speaking to legendary drummer Brant Bjork, on the eve of their show in Slovenia, about the current legal issues, the future of the band and what the sort of show they plan on bringing to the Download Festival in June.
On how the band are holding up right now:
Emotionally, spiritually, mentally great. Despite all of the current problems, everyone is pulling together and supporting each other so well. John Garcia and Brant, along with guitarist Bruno Fevery and long time friend of the band and new bassist Billy Cordell are all on the same page. There’s a great atmosphere amongst the guys and that is helping to put the business side of the music business into perspective, allowing them to do what they do best – play some great rock music from the desert.
Where the legal proceedings are right now:
The whole process has only really just started. Preliminary court dates have been scheduled but the whole process could take a while. It’s in the hands of the Kyuss Lives! legal team. It could take a couple of months to settle out of court or it could drag through the system for a couple of years. At the moment, the band is focussing on their live shows.
On whether the legal action was expected:
When the band started up under the Kyuss Lives! moniker, they knew that there was a risk of action being brought. The last time that Bjork had spoken to Homme was six years ago, when Homme made it clear that he didn’t ever want to speak to the drummer again. When Garcia spoke to Bjork about the possibility of joining forces again, Bjork said that the only way that would work was if Garcia spoke to Homme and told him what was going on. They are still waiting for a formal response from the Queens of the Stone Age frontman himself.
Brant said that if they were going to wait for the green light from the other parties, then Kyuss Lives! may never have happened and that wouldn’t have been fair to themselves of the fans. Ultimately, it probably would have been easier to form under a totally new name and the risk of litigation would have been significantly minimised, but these songs belong to Kyuss. Three quarters of the Kyuss lineup formed Kyuss Lives! (bassist Nick Oliveri has since left the band). The band wanted to show the fans that the spirit of Kyuss lives on, even if some people wanted the name dead and buried. There wasn’t a problem when Garcia went on the road with ‘Garcia Sings Kyuss’ – he had the blessing of his former bandmates, including Josh Homme. There shouldn’t really be a problem now, but then as Bjork stated, there was always a conflict of interest within the band which is the reason for it breaking up in the first place. Perhaps the only real surprise in all of this is the level to which the legal action has been taken.
The future:
The band are currently finishing their tour through Europe before heading back to the States. Their tour last year was about re-establishing themselves in their major markets. This time round they’ve been given the chance to tour some places they haven’t ever been to before, like Croatia and Slovenia. Seeing the response they get every night has, Bjork says, been amazing, giving vindication to the fact that they are carrying on.
Even more exciting for the band and the fans is that Kyuss Lives! plan to hit the studio upon their return home. They’ve been writing whilst on the road and are looking ahead to recording in late June with a view to a release in late Spring 2013.
Finally – Download Festival:
Asked whether fans can expect any surprises at Download, Bjork said that they simply plan to bring their show, rock hard and show how the desert legends do things. With long time friend and fellow desert dweller Billy Cordell taking over bass duties from Oliveri, the band have become even closer and that closeness is reflected in the shows.
Check out Kyuss Lives! on Sunday 10th June 2012 on the main stage at Download and stay connected for all the latest news surrounding the legal action and future Kyuss Lives! release!
