"THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A CROSSOVER THERE". These are the few first words of this straightforward character who played in Turin on the 30th of June. The grandson of Hank Williams I, the legend of American country
and ex co-worker of Phil Anselmo, Hank III threw away all these definitions to create his own style: a mixture of punk, country and metal characterized only by his will to be creative. Listen (and read below) to understand more.
gan: You know I'm working for a hardcore punk and metal webzine. Why would you suggest country music to our audience?
Hank: There's always been a crossover there. Hank Williams was playing rock'n'roll before rock'n'roll was, so...it's people that put labels on music. Music didn't put labels on itself. People did so.
gan: -In the song "Country Heroes" you mention the country singers are worth to listen. Who are the ones you would put in a "Punk-Rock Heroes" song?
Hank: Buzz from the Melvins, John Lydon or Johnny Rotten, it would have Jello Biafra, Iggy Pop.. It's not necessarily punk but Lemmy from Motorhead. Then you'd get more underground people like Bobby Liebling from Pentagram, and also Henry Rollins and all the five different singers from Black Flag, they're all inspirational for me
gan: What have become of your previous band, The Superjoint Ritual, and what about the character of Phil Anselmo?
Hank:I can't say anything about them because I don't know. Only he can tell you that. He's very excited about his new project with the Dawn, I just know that.
gan: Let's talk about the tour. Tonight you're gonna play for 3 hours, following your typical Jekyll and Hide format: a country music set, followed by a hellbilly set and then a Assjack set: do they allow to do such a long show everywhere?
Hank:In the United States, yes. But here in Europe I'm limited because of the curfews. In the United States also most bars don't close till 2.00 but I usually go on stage at 7.00 or 8.00 so I can play three hours and a half, say hello to my fans for an hour and so. The exception was the other night in Germany where they said "Play as long as you want!" and that's a good feeling because when you're on stage and you have to worry about the time you're always in a hurry and not concentrated on the show.
gan: By the way, I know that some years ago you were criticized by a local newspaper because you did a punk-rock show instead of the "country one " they expected. Have you noticed any differences between the European and the American audience?
Hank:There is definitively differences. I mean there's a different energy here, like at the festival in France yesterday: there was crowd surfing, a little bit of a mosh pit...but in general I can say that there's people who just stands still and watch the show, or it's the opposite: roudy and rough, making a punk-rock environment. However, they lay back more energy in the US, I think people know what's gonna happen: I have to meet all the guys from security and warn that there will be a roudy crowd, a lot of stuff (and people) thrown...whereas here maybe they come just for curiosity, and I can say Amsterdam and Manchester have been the roudiest crowd so far.
gan: Is it your first time in Italy?
Hank: Yes.
gan: So let's see what's gonna happen tonight!
Hank: It's always different. I never expect anything. All I hope is a good voice, because I think is half-way gone. I just go back and do the show that I wanna do and hope everyone has fun. That's the main thing: we want people to have fun. I don't like people to get hurt. If anyone is on the ground, I stop playing immediately.
gan: Kinda singer the audience wants?
Hank: Well, in a bar after a show some people like to meet who they have been listening to and a lot of people in the music business don't necessarily talk to their fans. But the old country way is "you do your show and you say hello". It's not always good, sometimes it's just as much "hey you're great, we love you!", or "Fuck you, you suck!" but I do what I do, some get it, some don't, but I'm still be doing my things, so...
gan: I know you've always had little patience for Music Row laws. I'm referring to the problems you had with your previous label, the Curb. How is the relationship with it now?
Hank: Personally, I don't talk to them. I never did talk to them that much even when I was on their label. It's basically a matter of respect and they didn't respect me as a person and I don't care what business you're in but if you don't respect your co-worker it's not a good relationship. Curb didn't know what to do with me where on the other hand if I was in Alternative Tentacles and if I was working for Jello Biafra he would have been excited for what I was doing. They tried to put labels on my stuff but I've always known my sound and what I wanted to do. If I was just a country singer, I wouldn't have the respect of the kind of people like Phil Anselmo, Tom Waits, or Danzig. They understand how I took the hard road: I'm trying to be myself and be creative doing different styles of music instead of being a one-hit wonder that just wants to make a million $.
gan: By the way, how did you come up with the idea of melting three kind of styles (country, punk and metal) so different between them?
Hank: It's cause I like the energy of drums. When I grew up, at six, my first records were Kiss and Walt Disney, then when I was eight or nine I was listening to ZZ Top, Ted Nugent, Queen and I'd liked to play in a rock'n'roll band. Then I moved and I got to hear an independent radio station where they played the Exploited, UK SUBS, the Cro-Mags, Dead Kennedys...That's what turned me to punk-rock and then punk- rock became upspeed metal and so on.
gan: Do you think it's easier to set up a DIY label now that anyone can have a recording machine installed on his pc?
Hank: It's a lot easier to do it yourself nowadays. I tell kids to record as much as they can and learn how because no one is gonna know their music more then them. You might not get the best sound, but surely you'll get your sound. 25 years ago, you had to sped almost 20.000 $ to make a record, because of the producer, the engineer... They tried to make me use an engineer, but I didn't need him! But back to he DIY, you can make a good record also for with a 500 $ nowadays. And all the records I've just put out have microphones that are used on the road, nothing special, nothing fancy. It was done on a 200 $ machine and I want to be inspirational to those kids to do it themselves. Not the best sounding, but it's different!!
gan: Last question: how will you make the most of this chance, what are your future releases?
Hank: Right now, I just got to keep touring for a little while and then it might be another hellbilly record. There's a chance I might be working with a bluegrass band, The Waiting On A Train.. Who knows? I mean I might go home and make a weird blues record or something but I don't know until i get into "creative mode" cause when you go home from the tour you have to put yourself together and you never know how much does it take. Last year has been strictly more "road oriented" but you know, running 12 people, keeping everyone happy, trying to keep a crew together...it takes you a lot.
gan: But it also gives you a lot, I think.
Hank: Of course. It's just like the old "Moby Dick" tale. Why did he wake up every night? to catch the wale. What's my job and life? It's to play music and be creative and hopefully helps some people with their emotions. That's the biggest pay off I could ever get on playing music.
Last thing i say is that the reason I sing about drinking and smoking and stuff like that so much is because I want people to have a good time. I don't want to push religion, or politics on people when they come to my shows. There's enough of that on TV and radio.
Check: www.facebook.com/pages/Hank-Williams-3/40301135279?ref=ts
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