|
Music
for Falling Empires
An interview with Caligula
By The
Nate |
Caligula is a frantic metal band with a community
mentality. I met frontman Rye Kennedy when I was thirteen at a skate park
and never saw him again until I heard of Caligula. He doesn't skate anymore
due to bad knees, but he does provide the vocals for a great band and works
hard to make things happen in Cleveland's music community. My band played
with Caligula at the Phantsay and I sat down with Zach, Mike, Eric, Rye, and
stand-in bassist/Cadence guitarist TJ for some words. I came away with the
impression that these are some of the friendliest, most genuine people I've
talked to. Oh and they rock.
UT writer, Nate Hough-Snee: How long has Caligula been
terrorizing Cleveland?
Rye: Since February 2003, first
show a few months later.
UT: What's your motivation for being a band right now?
Booze, hookers and blow?
Rye: Basically, yeah.
Zach: I'm going to step out and
be a cock here but, our whole mission is to entirely reinvent music as the
world knows it.
Mike: He's serious when he says
that!
Eric: All I want is free tattoos
Almost inaudible "don't listen to
him he's from lorain county!
Rye: It's really pretty cliché.
It's all about just being a band together and having fun. We just want to
sit down write music we enjoy and enjoy ourselves. We’re all great friends
and this is just another way to strengthen that.
UT: So Rye do the rest of the guys look to you as a
father figure
Rye: do you?
Eric: a father? Fuck, a
grandfather! He's old (26)!
Rye: that's all I aspire to be!
UT: So I understand you were really involved in
Clevelandfest and this year for the first time in three years it couldn't
happen. What happened this year that didn't in the two years prior?
Rye: It boils down to a lot of
shit happening with venues. The Agora basically said fuck off if you don't
shut it down we will (they had a fest running the same days and times in the
works). What happened this year with it not happening was primarily a lack
of venue after people found out it wasn't small, that we were bringing forty
bands over two days they backed out and said no not in my club. By the time
that I got word that the last club bailed it was too late and we were
stuck. It was too short a period to go forward with and do it.
UT: So I assume the effort you would have put into
Clevofest went instead into Caligula and D.S. records.
Rye: Very Much so.
UT: You've got a lot of good stuff going on with D.S.
so tell me how that is going.
Rye: A big part of D.S. Records
comes from the fucking we took from Clevofest not happening this year.
We're basically about DIY bands that have no ambition to go to a major
label. People don't want to consider Victory a major label, but they are
Zach: Epitaph, Fat
Rye: Yeah they all are. A lot of
that comes out in the lyrics I write like “spitting fuel on the fire” is
about that stuff. Fucking people over is pretty big in Cleveland. With
corporate bullshit happening all over like the Odeon leading the way with
fucking over bands and Peabody's forcing ticket sale minimums.
UT: So what bands are you working with locally and
nationally?
Rye: We've got some huge acts
nationally. Locally Karate for Kids, Cadence, Caligula, starcrossed, Wake
Up, and then we've got some big acts like Ion Dissonance (Canada), Mi amore,
I Spoke (Canada), Umbrella, and a bunch more.
UT: So I know this is turning into a big D.S. records
ad, but what all is coming out on the label? What releases are lined up?
Rye: A lot for the first wave:
first there's the triangle: A Karate for Kids/Caligula split, a Cadence
Caligula Split, a Karate for Kids/Cadence split then the compilation
"separating the apes from the humans in punk rock" with twenty odd bands.
(also there will be a limited edition vinyl release from
www.dsrecords.com
and www.calamityproject.com )
UT: So what's next for Caligula? Maybe bungee-jump
off the Goodyear blimp while naked with a Caligula sticker on your butt and
holding a giant Caligula banner?
Eric: We're writing new material
and getting out around town.
Rye: We want to get sponsored by
Pabst sometime soon so we can get free beer and get more strobe lights!
Zach: What about playing naked?
Can we do that?
UT: No free Mumia show?
Rye: I usually don't put politics
in my lyrics, with the exception of scene politics. We all have differences
politically, but we get along and keep it going strong. Open minds to
everything, no uniform thinkers here.
UT: So how's the bass player situation? T.J.
made out well for his first night.
Zach, Erich, Rye: (various jeers
toward TJ) You're on the spot. You're with us or you're against us!
Rye: It depends how he feels, but
he also has another band, Cadence.
UT: Closing comments?
Mike: shakes head
Eric: He just plays drums! I
just want to say I'm really tough and so is our music and all of us!
T.J (in background): Cadence
rules!
Zach: I don't know make something
witty up for me, I can't think of anything right this moment
Rye: I talked so much already, I
finally have nothing to say.
*Note: I had a rough time figuring out who said what
at certain instances on the tape. Sorry if I quoted Eric as Zach and vice
versa. You guys rock and should know it.
Visit the Caligula
website.
 |
