SCRATCH THAT ITCH (SLIGHT RETURN…) Scratch Acid
Nov 14, 2011
Touch & Go's toxic Texans discuss their reunion and meditate, sort of, on why it's destined to be short-lived. On the couch: David Yow and David Wm. Sims.
BY RON HART
We here at BLURT were justifiably ecstatic to hear about the surprise re-reunion of legendary Texas pigfuck/noisemongers Scratch Acid for a brief holiday trek in November and December across North America (itinerary is listed here; the band wrapped a few dates this past weekend and will commence again December 8). It marks the first time they've performed since 2006, which itself was a one-off for the Touch & Go Records' 25th anniversary shows. In addition, they'll be returning to the UK for their first show in England since 1987 for the Jeff Magnum-curated All Tomorrow's Parties. And when we reached out to the head Scratchers, Davids Yow and Wm. Sims for comment about the impending festivities, they were more than happy to discuss at, er, length their first full-on tour since Ronnie's jellybeans graced the desk of the Oval Office.
Yow and Sims responded, respectively, via email. Yow - who currently operates as a visual artist - added a brief personal note that read, "I hate typing. I'm no good at it. But here's the interview. I wish you nothing but the best." And likewise to you from BLURT, sir.
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BLURT: Who initially contacted you about getting Scratch Acid back together for All Tomorrow's Parties? Did Jeff Magnum reach out to you directly?
DAVID YOW: I believe Jeff Mangum contacted Barry (who runs ATP), or one of his partners, who in turn contacted our booking agent who in turn contacted me. Yep, like that.
DAVID WM. SIMS: Our booking agent contacted us. I believe he was contacted by Barry, the guy that runs ATP. I know I'm supposed to know who Jeff Magnum is; sorry.
Was there talk about some kind of full-on reunion following the 2006 shows prior to the invite to All Tomorrow's Parties?
SIMS: No.
YOW: No, there was not. We're all kind of surprised by this reunion, I think.
Who were some of the music acts who influenced Scratch Acid when you guys first got started?
YOW: Led Zeppelin. PIL. Killing Joke. The Birthday Party. Fear. Wire. Gang Of Four.
SIMS: There were a lot of them. We started the band on the heels of an amazing period in British punk and New Wave, and that was a big factor: Gang of Four, PIL, Buzzcocks, Siouxsie and the Banshees, etc. We were in Austin at a time when there were amazing local bands to draw on, like the Dicks, Butthole Surfers, and Big Boys. And, we didn't turn away from the rock music we'd been fans of before punk came along. Led Zeppelin was a big deal. There's a bit in our song "El Espectro" that's an, ahem, homage to a riff in a Brand X song. So, it was a pretty mixed bag.
Hardcore and thrash was getting bigger at the time, and most of us hated how predictable and monotonous the tempos and lyrical themes were. There was an element of "anything but hardcore" to what we were doing when we started.
Do you have a particular memory from Scratch Acid's first six years that sticks out most in your mind? Please divulge...
YOW: (Gosh, I wish I had a better answer for this.) Um, no, I don't. Sorry. That's sorta funny, though, huh?
Now that people are talking Scratch Acid again, has there been any conversation between you guys about reissuing your catalog?
YOW: No, there has not.
SIMS: I haven't heard any.
Would you be interested in doing any new recording with Scratch Acid?
SIMS: Probably not. I think we all have enough other projects going on to keep us busy.
YOW: Personally, I would not. I don't really feel like creating music these days. I guess I'm only recreating. It's recreational for me.
If you could curate one of these All Tomorrow's Parties festivals, what acts would you be interested in reuniting to play it?
YOW: The Huns. Terminal Mind. Sharon Tate's Baby.
Are there any young bands that you feel keep the Scratch Acid legacy alive in 2011? What modern acts do you listen to?
YOW: I really don't keep up with what's going on with young bands. I don't think I'm the guy to ask.
SIMS: I don't know of any, but I don't listen to much of that kind of music anymore. A lot of the stuff I listen to now is experimental instrumental music, like Rhys Chatham, David Daniell, Noveller, and Aidan Baker. I have a solo bass project called unFact that skews that way.
2012 will mark the 30th anniversary of the band. Are you guys going to be acknowledging the milestone in any way?
YOW: Good question. Probably not.
SIMS: Nope.
An edited version of this interview appeared in issue #11 of BLURT.
[Photo Credit: Niles J. Fuller/via Touch & Go]
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