Aloha From Hell The Midnight Creeps are coming
by Chris Parcellin
Most local bands, earnest though they may be, are pretty faceless. They get up onstage in jeans and t-shirts and sound pretty much like a thousand other bands from their respective scene. There's no element of risk in their approach. So, they end up blending in with the scenery and never really standing out in the crowd.

Well, it's a real goddamn treat when a bunch of wackos get together and decide to just do their own thing. Such is the case with the Midnight Creeps. Fronted by a demented siren called Hurricane Jenny--who comes off like Patti Smith on a fistfull of amphetamines--the Creeps look and sound like a throwback to the classic days of punk. And that's pretty refreshing in an era of fourth generation Nirvana wannabes and Pearl Jam retreads.

Their 3-song CD "Feed Us" received a rave review in Boston's leading punk zine The Noise and the release of their follow-up opus "Punchin Skanks Live At the Venu" bodes well for their future. They come off like the bastard offspring of the Cramps and the Ramones--with their fuzzed-up rockabilly licks mixed with no-bullshit punk riffing.

D-Filed had the pleasure of getting the inside poop on the Creeps from that howlin' vixen herself Hurricane Jenny and her guitar-bashing cohort Heather Mars. As you'll see, these two can really throw the bullshit around.

How did this band get together?
Hurricane Jenny: Unemployment was running out and we thought it was time to do something useful. It just sort of happened really like a one-night stand that lasted a couple of years.

Heather Mars: The punk rock gods brought us all together by twist of fate. We have been together for about 2 years but we were all friends before we started the band

Have you played many gigs? What's the response been like?
Heather: We've played ALOT of gigs and will continue to do so, the response has been incredible, we love all our fans, and especially our haters. We have alot of big plans and hopefully we will be doing a US tour in the late fall/early winter. We are playing Holidays in the Sun in September in New Jersey and going on an east coast tour this September as well. Spreading the gospel of the Creeps to as many people as we can!

Jenny: Not enough gigs though. We wish we could play gigs instead of eating or shitting. You can duplicate the feeling you get on stage. As Heather said, people seem to hate us as much as they love us, but what they don't know is we love the haters as much as the lovers.

No, I would say keep on shitting. Where do you get your songwriting ideas?
Jenny: My schizophrenic personalities tells me so.

Heather: Life is a carnival ride that provides thrills and we are attracted to quirks and abnormalities in everyday living. We write about things we adore and everything we despise. Really its whatever we feel the most passionate about at the time, basically.

Who are some of Midnight Creeps' big influences?
Jenny: '77 New York punk and older Brit punk, John Waters, and Ed Gein.

Heather: Also Iggy and the Stooges, the Cramps, the Plasmatics, the Dead Boys, David Lynch, the Weekly World News, and Pee Wee Herman.

How would you describe the band's look?
Heather: Most of the time we sport bruises of many shapes, colors, and sizes from the abuse we put our bodies thru to put on the best damn live show we can. It ain't rock and roll unless there are broken bones or bloodshed! Hurricane Jenn has a fantastic sense of style. She has been known to wear dresses made entirely of bubble wrap or a skirt made of bacon. As a group I think we like to represent the apocalypse look-wise.

Jenny: We basically try to push the envelope of cliché fashion and find our own artistic wardrobe through past present and future bankruptcy design. In other words: punk rock vanity.

What do each of the various members bring to the band?
Jenny: It basically breaks down like this:
Hurricane Jenny - vox: She has issues.
Jonas -bass: Pansy in training.
Heather Mars - lead guitar: Man in training.
Jeff Creep - drums: Idiot savant

Heather: We bring every vein, artery, bone and cell into this group. This is our life and we give everything we have into doing what we love. Every quirk, sneer, snot, and character flaw. NOTHING is held back.

Totally pissah. What can you tell us about the three tunes on your CD "Feed Us?"
Jenny: How the fuck did you get it! We only made five copies anyhow. (laughing)

Heather: Its a 3 song promo CD, I don't know if we'll ever actually release it. "Ballad of GG" is a cover of a song written by an incredible man, Jonee Earthquake. He does so much to support kids of all ages playing music and is also one of the most amazing performers and musicians I've ever met. That song is actually a cover of a cover. Its based on an old GG Allin song called "Don't Talk To Me." "Nighttime Nasty" is about partying on any given night and lurking the sleazy city streets lookin for kicks. "The Kids are Screaming" is sort of an anthem for today's youth. Its about being pent up and bored with all this intense energy and nowhere to put it. In a world filled with MTV crap that gets shoved down kid's throats while there are very few all ages venues and shows for them to attend, what are they to do? SCREAM!

Where did you record it? And what kind of an experience did you have doing it?
Jenny: Various studios whom are still requesting payments.

Heather: Its true, we're still in the red from it. Overall we recorded something like 20 songs all in one weekend late last year. So far those three are the only ones that we've done anything with.

Jenny: We got kidnapped and were forced to do it! (THIS IS THE TRUTH!) Recording is uncomfortable for us because we lack an audience. Even though our music is very passionate to us, the audience we play for gives us the food we desire. We feed off the feeders and they feed off our food. Its a give and take relationship.

You also did a live CD?
Jenny: Right now we have a live cd that just came out at the beginning of May called "Punchin Skanks Live At the Venu". It was indeed recorded live at the Venu in Boston at The Vigilantes last show (R.I.P.). Its raw and honest and humpingly intense!

Heather: Jonee Earthquake also recently recorded us. That was our best recording experience, hands down. We went to New Hampshire and recorded on analog in a barn. Extremely Lo-fi and brutally honest, the way our music should sound. We are a raw live band and our best recordings represent that. We are very pleased with how the "Punchin Skanks..." CD came out. It captures the energy of our live show very well.

Being in a band, you naturally learn to communicate with each other subconsciously through music. Any change in our sound will come through naturally and honestly by not giving ourselves any boundaries or limitations. We are always interested in recording more material and do have some lined up in the future. But thats our little secret for us to know and for you to find out!

Jenny: We are in negotiations with a few labels and hope to have something new out this fall. We are ALWAYS pushing the empty envelope.

How would you describe the current state of rock'n'roll?
Jenny: Not a lot of rock and not a lot of roll.

Heather: But in our little world, REAL rock n roll is growing like a poisonous mold and we have had the pleasure of playing with many many talented passionate bands and performers. Overall, I'd say its slowly improving and its only a matter of time before the nonbelievers who say Rock n Roll is dead will rethink their opinions.

Jenny: Rock'n'roll has gotten too comfortable. Much like marrying a whore, the danger and deviance is drained. So whats the point in a fuck? Rock'n'roll is not pink and prissy and missionary style. Fuck me from behind, make me scream, make me afraid, make me lose control in my sex juices and you've got rock'n'roll! That, my friend, is what the Midnight Creeps want to give back to rock'n'roll.

Shit, I think I'm getting a little misty…What's your message for America's youth?
Heather: Grab the world by the balls, fuck the authority that tries so pathetically to "put you in your place"! ALL FOR ONE AND FUCK THEM ALL. Who knows what will happen tomorrow so always be true to yourself and the people you care about, find what makes you the happiest and ride the tidal wave!

Jenny: Fear the radio. Allow yourself to gag when faced with fecal matter. Fuck the status quo, thank you Wendy O. All for one and fuck them all, right on HBomb. Don't do as you're told. Don't be bought and sold. Become the King and Queen of your own world. Allow yourself to lose control. Allow yourself to break the mold. Allow yourself to hate, hate, hate and dance at shows for Satan's sake.
© 2002 Chris Parcellin & D-Filed, All rights reserved.