|
A
Blip on the Screen
An interview with Robbie Vegas of
Radar Secret Service
By Bob
Ignizio |
“I have a mission, much like G.G. Allin had a mission.
However my mission involves pretend shit, whereas G.G. Allin, from what I’ve
gathered, used real shit. Playing music is simply another part of this
mission,” says Robbie Vegas, vocalist and bass player for Suffield, Ohio’s
Radar Secret Service. Robbie first became interested in music through Dr.
Demento’s syndicated radio show. Robbie says, “It is amazing to me the
amount of effrontery that goes in to a novelty song. It’s the musical
equivalent of asking another person to swallow your excrement. I used to
write songs about poop and pee all day; just ask my parents. I was slightly
less interested in the music my family listened to: a mixture of WKSU, The
Beatles and show tunes.” Despite Robbie’s scatological mentality, the music
he makes with his band (which also includes guitarist Josh and drummer Mike)
is anything but shitty. His band plays a style Robbie describes as, “Too
punk for the emo kids, and too emo for the punks.” Somebody must like it,
though, as the band has been playing the Northeast Ohio music scene since
1996.
Robbie says he started writing songs because, “I used
to chew bubblegum, until I almost got pyorrhea. I started writing songs in
an effort to distance myself from that, and because I didn't like playing
video games. I was also very lonely as a teenager, the end result of
alienating my parents with the whole "writin' songs about poop" thing. I
love my parents, by the way.” Thankfully Robbie’s lyrics have matured some
since his early efforts, although they remain more than a little odd.
Robbie says his lyrics now are about, “People I know, things that I do.
People who like to do stupid things like light dumpsters on fire. One song
is about how once in 10th grade I stabbed this kid with a pencil
because my dad stabbed a kid with a pencil and I thought it would be
carrying on the tradition.”
As you can tell by now it’s hard to get Robbie to talk
seriously about his music, but that’s probably to be expected from someone
in a band that took it’s name from an episode of ‘Mystery Science Theatre
3000’. Robbie says, “It the name of a movie they showed, but we also
decided that it coincided with our favorite character from M.A.S.H.” So how
and why did Radar Secret Service come in to existence? Robbie says, “I
joined forces with two sports dudes, both of whom could (and do) kick my ass
from time to time and have absolutely nothing in common with me, to show the
world that it is time to stand up and be counted. We are all human cavemen.
Radar Secret Service embodies that inherent desire to embrace your fellow
human cavemen in joyous revelry. Our songs are anticipatory appeals to that
effect. In my songs, I am either telling you to stop or go. Obviously,
they are very personal in nature.” As for his motivations, Robbie says, “I
love humiliating myself in front of others, and I hope people take great
delight in watching me do this. I encourage everyone to watch an out of
shape bespectacled, pockmarked, balding, 22 year old play pretend retail
store manager for quarters.”
Recently, the label On/On Switch decided to help spread
Robbie’s message by releasing the band’s debut CD, ‘Stop Communication’.
Robbie says, “It’s some guys I know who live in San Fran Cisco now. They
put it out for me because they promised they would. Most of the songs on
‘Stop Communication’ were written over a four year period. Indeed those
were probably the best songs from said period so you can imagine what kind
of crap didn't make the cut. (laughs) I would probably have left the 6th
song off the CD, but otherwise I can only offer a complementary "well
done." Should we have the opportunity to record and release another CD we
won't have that luxury (shudder). We certainly have enough material for a
new CD, maybe two, but it remains to be seen whether this will come to
pass.”
In the meantime, Robbie is keeping himself busy. He
says, “We are "touring" in late June and I imagine it will be better than
our last tour. We have yet to embark on an admirable, lengthy excursion.
However, by my watch we still have two years to complete something along
those lines.” He also plays bass for another group, Kent’s Sexual Tension,
which he describes as, “simply another part of my mission.” Whether Robbie
ultimately succeeds in his idiosyncratic mission or not, he can at least be
content in the knowledge that, like Sinatra, he did it his way. For his
final words to the readers of Utter Trash, Robbie says, “I do not like Kid
Rock and I think he has sown a horrid seed. His duet with Sheryl Crowe
saturating the airwaves is proof of the apocalypse. Death from above.” What
else is there to say?
Radar Secret Service are no more. Check out the
website for Robbie's new band
Human Caveman..
 |
