Nick Oliveri

04/29/04

The last time I saw Oliveri on a stage, was when he played in the AB in Brussels with the Queens of the Stone Age, in front of a loud crowd of about 1,800 people (my estimation). Now, two years later, he’s split ways with Josh Homme (rumours about the why and how have been milked out for so long it ain’t funny anymore), tours with former band mate Brant Bjork (Kyuss, Mondo Generator, Desert Sessions), supporting him with a solo acoustic set and visits the ‘tiny’ Sojo, Belgium’s Mekka for stoner rock and all things related. It’s usually not that easy to arrange an interview with guys like this, but we managed to work something out … until Oliveri sort of disappeared… and eventually returned out of nowhere. Despite the restrictions by the tour manager (“Five minutes!” - as he had to perform thirty minutes later), I managed to have a fairly laidback talk with the goateed generator. Here’s the transcription:

What’s it like to be the guy with the acoustic guitar for a change?

It’s fun! It’s different and it’s unexpected, and uh, it’s good man.

Don’t you miss the wall of sound and all the noise?

No, because that’s always available … it’s not gone, it’s not gone, it’s just not, I’m not doing it right now.

But it still feels like rocking out?

I’m gonna do it in July, and I’m gonna come out with Brant and the Bros and with Mondo Generator with the full band, so … It’s just a different thing to do and it’s fun and uh… I get to see these guys have a wall of sound every night, so I’m cool with it. It’s awesome.

Since it’s an acoustic thing for the moment, are you also planning to do an acoustic album or…

Yeah.

… a quieter thing, like for instance Mark Lanegan does?

I’m gonna do an acoustic record with Brant’s label when I get home.

Duna Records?

Yeah. I think it makes sense to do one since I’m out doing shows. It seems like it’s the right thing to do, you know, and it kinda sets up to be able to do shows again, you know, if I wanna come out and do a tour, maybe me and Brant will come do an acoustic tour one time. Hopefully that’ll be fun.

When you play solo, do you mainly focus on your own songs or do you play covers by your ‘influences’?

I do all the songs that I feel I can do convincingly, acoustically, uh, whether it be my own stuff, when it comes to Queens-songs that I do live and acoustic, I will do my songs, but obviously not all of them work acoustically, and I do a couple of covers that I feel like I can get behind the words. They don’t have to be my words, they don’t have to be my songs, but there has to be something that touches me enough to wanna … that I feel it too and I feel I can do it convincingly, with some sincerity, so people see like, if I’m singing something that’s bullshit, it’s obvious. So I don’t do any of that. So I’ll always do covers, I love to try to strip down BIG songs and do ‘em acoustically, ‘cause it’s FUN, man, and it’s like, you want people to have a good time and feel familiar with some of the stuff you’re doing anyway, you know.

Are there any artists in particular that you feel connected to?

Yeah, uh, I really like Johnny Thunders and I like Black Flag and I like Turbonegro and I like Subhumans, … I mean, just to name a few … I feel connected to Lanegan, you know, he’s a good friend of mine, and Brant… There’s a lot of people, there’s a lot of bands and people that are existing and the ones that don’t exist that I feel like “Wow, I understand what you’re saying man”, even when they’re gone and dead maybe, you know, I buy the same as you (points at my Black Flag-shirt), where you can feel it and you know it, and even if you get the same thing that they’re saying, even if you don’t get the same thing that they’re saying, you know, like when you get something completely different out of it. It doesn’t matter, as long as you feel it…

Does it give you the same kick as being on stage and kicking out the jams against 120 dB?

It’s more challenging to do it acoustic, I’ll say that. It’s more challenging, it’s harder.

Have you ever done it before?

No. (laughs hysterically)

Ah, you’re a rookie today!

No, no, no! Brant took me out on tour in the States, which was very cool as well, so I did some shows in the States with them, with the Bros, and we did this whole European tour, and this is the last date of the tour. But this is the first time I’ve been out on tour doin’ it, you know. I did some shows every now and again, like one-offs on a Queens-tour, but that’s like you already have the audience there, because you’re doing it with the Queens or whatever you’re doing at the time. But this is like we’re out doing this tour, and it’s cool, this is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this.

Can we expect something special tonight?

No. (deadpan face, then again hysterical laughter)

Nothing? Only ordinary stuff? Come one, you gotta do something special!

Of course, man, of course! Yeah, it’s a surprise, though, man. It ain’t special unless you feel surprised when it happens.

That’s true.

Do you know what I mean?

I do…

We can’t give it all away, but we will when we play.

OK, I’m already looking forward to that. Now, I’ve always thought that the records I heard you play on, that you often were, like, the raw ingredient, like with the Queens, you always seem to be the guy offering the punk intensity. Is that something which you’re planning to “use” when you’re gonna do something new?

I can’t help that, you know, I guess that’s just an energy that I have, I don’t know. I don’t try to do it, I just… I’m being me, and don’t really know how… I’m not trying to change that, I’m doing my thing, and I’m gonna continue to do that, whether it be acoustic or with Mondo Generator, you know, I’m gonna continue to do that. So, yeah, I don’t know how to change that or haven’t wanted to, or anything like that. I think that there’s a… there’s two sides to the music that I like: there’s the intense side and there’s also the, not mellow side, but like the more melodic side, I guess in how I’m trying to sing. I do enjoy screaming and I do enjoy trying to sing as well and so could say there’s both of those vibes.

When it comes down to live performers…are there any people you consider influences?

Iggy Pop, Johnny Cash, Henry Rollins…

That’s a great trio!

Yeah… also Lux Interior. I’d say those guys are, you know… Just to name a few. I would go with those guys.

Ok, you gotta warm up now. Good luck!

Thanks, man.