FMG Pat Nobody Interview

FMG: What was the Southern California punk scene like when you made the 1st NS record?

Pat: "Well, let's see... if that part of my brain is still alive. Umm, we made the record in '86 - I think it came out in '87. At that time, punk had been around for a few years, 7 or 8 at least. The So Cal punk scene actually started in LA. We used go down to the Starwood and the Vex, or the Whiskey - we had to drive into LA to see the shows at that time, they weren't really scattered all over the Southland like they are now, and I remember it being pretty violent, evil almost. Lots of uh, well it was a boys club. You'd go into the shows and it'd be packed full of guys ages 15 to 25, gettin' rid of their aggressions, you know. Jacked-up on whatever we were jacked-up on, beatin' the crud out of each other. I remember there'd be an ambulance parked outside of the gig doors on a regular basis, and rarely a night went by when somebody wasn't thrown out the door, and you know the term was "well someone else just got trashed", did you see that? We'd see a pile of bodies over by the side door just mutilating somebody - throwing 'em out the side. I was trashed a couple of times myself; once at Fender's in Long Beach and once at the Coo Coos Nest in Costa Mesa, for ungodly reasons, I'm sure...But those are other stories and I'm fortunate to still continue...So it was pretty violent. The skinheads back then were mostly "Oi boys" so they weren't really necessarily associated with white supremacy or the nazi punks, but I do remember after a few shows, walking out of the shows, there'd be people handing out communist paraphernalia, nazi newspapers - and it was pretty rediculous. But that went on alot, and thus, a few years later we had, uh - you know, mostly skins were associated with white supremacy and nazi punks. I'm talkin', these days were '79,'80,'81, was when alot of it started. And then it was like all the places seemed to shut down. The gigs were too violent, people were getting killed and stabbed, there'd be riots after the shows. The Starwood, the Vex, and everything closed down and it seemed like the scene was dyin'. And then out of nowhere, like '83 or somethin', the Olympic Auditorium started throwin' big shows. You had producers realizing there was alot of money to be made, so you had these huge shows, all over the place, which held alot more people. Instead of 50 to 200 people at a show, there were hundreds and hundreds - the pit the size of an arena. It was still violent, it was still crazy, but..um, it was alot more diversified - the crowd was. You know, you could be a long hair at this crowd and not worry about gettin' beatin'-up and having your hair cut off, or being a girl or a women and not worry about getting raped or having your clothes ripped off of you, which was not uncommon in the early days (if you had long hair or you were a female, you were definitely in jeopardy in these first early shows). So, it was loosening up a little bit with a more diversified crowd. I think more people were listening to punk - it had a better network, more local shows, lots of parties. You could see gigs in Riverside, OC, San Diego, LA. It went from being isolated in LA (in So Cal), to anywhere from San Diego up to Ventura, and so it was just gettin' huge. But you had different facets of punk breakin' out now. You had the skins, the mohawk crew, your artsies etc, and it was just gettin' large. I think that was the climate when we made this album, that was the climate. It was growing rapidly, more diversified, and there was alot more people listening to it - recognizing it as an enjoyable and pleasureable type of music.

FMG: What drove you to make the record?

Pat: To answer that question, I think it'd be better to back up a few years before making the record, which is where most of the music that's on the record came from. I was 18, it was '81, and I'd just come out of 3 hard, long years in the punk scene... alot of just complete craziness - I was completely and totally out-of-control. I was lucky to be alive and I realized that. I came before God exhausted in every sense of the word - spiritually, mentally, physically, and to make a long story short, I did a 180 degree change. I was healed of all my vices that I'd picked up, and I was rejuvenated with just an awesome amount of power from the Holy Spirit. I had the suttlety and power of a locomotive - I think I told everybody about Jesus. I lost all my friends, even my parents had concern for me. I guess I was uh, on fire you might say. So I had a real burden to go back into the punk scene, and play at shows and tell people about Jesus - to tell 'em what he did for me, to tell them to quit bashin' themselves up. You know it was a "no-future" mentality back then. People were hurt for whatever reason, they were crazy and doin' weird stuff in the punk scene. I mean, I can't even mention the stuff I've seen and done, and it's just anarchy here, all going on right underneath people's noses, without them realizing what's happening. So, I wanted to go back in and tell people, "Look, don't blow your head off, don't OD, you know, there's better things happening". And I did. I started a band called Immortal Youth. Elissa Johnson played the bass and Orlando Gonzales was on drums and we started playin' around. We did parties, juvenile halls, underground shows. I remember a show we did at a place called "The Barn" in Burbank, which really stands out in my mind. We were playing with a band called "Urban Decay" and they kicked us off stage after they realized we were a Christian band, and shut down the power. And as we were leaving, most of the people followed us out, and would not let us go. I think each band memeber had 10 or 15 people around them just curious with questions left and right. So we told them what was in our hearts, we told them what good things God had done for us, and how we were healed, and just saw something amazing happen that night... and I'll never forget that night. I mean, here we were in the middle of some neighborhood in LA, completey void of any institutionalized Christian supervision what-so-ever, but the Holy Spirit was doing radical work, incredible work, and I was just in awe to be a part of that, I'll never forget that feeling.

A year later the band broke up and I moved up north to the central coast of California. I came back a couple years later, and Joey, my brother Joey better known as Ojo, was making a compilation album of some of the new bands that were around - making it for Jimmy at Frontline. And he asked me if I wanted to do some of the old tunes that we did in Immortal Youth, and I said "sure", it sounded good to me. However, when the deadline came to do the compilation album, for whatever reasons - the other bands weren't ready, or Joey dropped the ball somewhere or somethin', I don't know, but it was for the better because he wanted to all Immortal Youth stuff. So I said, "Wow, that's somethin'." So, that's really how the album came about. We went in the studio, and I'd say at least 50% of the stuff on this ablum is from that older band Immortal Youth. And basically, that's how it happened - we made the album, and the rest, as they say, is history.

FMG: What was the Christian Industry's reaction to your record?

Pat: Well, it was shocking, riveting (Pat laughs). It was suprising to say the least. I don't think anybody knew what to expect, especially me since I certainly wasn't then, and am not now, an expert on the Christian Industry, whatever that means. But, we had a positive response even though the music was punk rock, gut wrenching, and challenging. Nobody knew exactly how it would go over. I'm not sure the Bible belt rushed out to buy it, but evidently we had a good enough response to where I had to slap a band together real quick and go out and play some shows because people were demanding to see us. Like I said before, we went in and did the album in the studio. At the time we made the album, I didn't actually have a band, we bought in musicians to play. So anyway, the reaction was completey positive and for the most part supportive. A few people were confused about...well, you know, confused. Confused about, basically, how someone can sing like this about Jesus or God and still be Christian. I certainly didn't know how to react to something like that. I mean, you're always gonna get disected to a certain extent whenever you do something that's considered controversial. But the reaction was positive and I think it sold alot better than anybody had anticipated, and I was real happy for that. It was a real comforting reaction to me.

FMG: Did you have a chance to play alot?

Pat: Yes we did. We started playing, like I said, almost immediately after the album came out and we got the positive response that we did. We played around quite a bit, in fact, that was beginning of us playing about 3 to 4 times a month for about 3 yrs. We played numerous venues ranging from (Pat laughs) dive secular bars to youth groups, you know...from Knott's Berry Farm to parties. I mean it was just all over the place, anywhere we could - we played. We played quite a bit and I enjoyed that quite alot. "We" at the time was Chris Kovacs on bass, and Tony Cena played the drums. It was just the 3 of us at first. I tried these guys out and they were quite a bit younger than me but none-the-less very talented and willing to play that style of music. So, that happened quite easliy at the off-set, however, as you play on, problems arise within any band - it's like a small family and people can bicker. We had our trials and tribulations, one might say, but all-in-all we played alot and I have alot of good memories. I've seen alot of good things happen because of it and I was glad to be a part of it.

FMG: What do you think of the "new" punk scene?

Pat: The new punk scene, as compared to the old one I assume. Much more diverse, you know, it's huge now. At one time everybody was "cool" if they were punk, you know. So, I guess out of that mentality spawned a whole lot of listeners out there, or at least sparked their curiousity to listen to that type of music. As far as the "new" punk scene is concerned, it's hard to classify it in "one" punk scene. On one end you have your skins listening to straight-edge or hardcore/thrash stuff, and then you have softcores over here, and your little artsy punk stuff, and everything in-between. So, I think basically, it's just more diversified and it's just larger than it was before, it reaches a wider audience of people, and that's what I think of it, I guess.

FMG: Christian punk seems hot right now, what do you think?

Pat: Yes, Christian punk is hot right now evidently and I think it's fantastic. I support all those guys out there. I'm sure some of it stinks. As you know, alot of punk rock does stink. But, quite of few of the bands I've heard I've been impressed with and I really enjoy listening to. It sounds like authentic, good, lo-down American punk rock to me - better lately, than previously. So, I'm glad about it, as long as the musicians out there realize that there is accountability whether they like it or not, and to watch their step if they are in fact out there evangelizing, or just sharing what they think is their art in the punk scene. Whether you consider yourself a minister or not, you're gonna be judged as such so just remember, you're accountable for everything you say and do. But I do believe that, um, it's awesome, and I think that no matter how much the Bible belt - I use that term, but what I mean when I say that is - I'm talkin' about closed-minded people who can't open their mind enough to realize that Jesus might be actually using different types of music to reach different people. Back in the early days (I mentioned before Immortal Youth), alot of people in the punk scene in the early days didn't listen to any other type of music. It was blasphemous for them to listen to anything but punk rock, they'd be betraying their scene or whatever, so you had to give it to 'em in that way or they weren't gonna get it at all. And I think that holds true today alot. The youth, 13 to 20 and 20 to 30, they have their nitch, they have one style of music they listen to most of the time. People need to express themselves in the punk medium, as well as they do other mediums, and I think people are starting to realize now that it's here to stay. It's great, it gets you goin', it's good drivin' music - most of it, and I think the Christian punk scene being hot right now is a good thing.

FMG: What do you know now that you wish you knew then?

Pat: Okay... other than last weeks lottery numbers...um, I wish I knew that the Lord wasn't gonna be here by now(Pat laughs). I've been hearing since I was 14 years old that Jesus was going to come back tomorrow, and I think sometimes I lived my life accordingly, and um, as I look back I would've made some decisions differently. You know, like staying in school or persuing certain career options that I didn't. So, what do I know now that I wish I knew then? Geese! I couldn't fit all that in this interview, I'm sure. You know, I've learned that people are people whether they're Christians, or pegans, or heathen, or whatever they call themselves. People are people, and I've been hurt by both Christians and non-Christians alike. So, I've learned to trust "man" less and to trust God more. I've learned that we're all individuals, and God made us that way. We're talkin' about billions of people on this earth and there's not any two alike, and that wasn't an accident. God made us that way, so in my opinion, He obviously enjoys individuality in all of us. I think the pressure of the movement to strive to be the perfect Christian, shouldn't be understood as to us all....to become the same person. I think our uniqueness is good and I think people can believe differently and worship differently. I'm an absolutist - I absolutely believe that Jesus was the Son of God, is God, and that there's one way to heaven, but I believe within those perameters, we have room for growth, that we have room for differing interpretations. I think people should spend less time telling other people how to believe, and more time figuring out what they believe and why. And other than that, there's just too many things I know now that I didn't know then, but those I think would be the most important or the ones that come to mind right now.

FMG: Are you active with music now?

Pat: Absolutely. I have to be active with music. It's God's gift to me and it has helped me to keep my sanity, and to express myself in a way that is unique. Whenever I write music, you know, I write selfishly - it's for me. I never sit down and write a song thinking it's goin' on an album or other people are gonna hear this. For the most part I write because it's comforting to me to spill out what I think on paper and put it to a tune. And I think that's a gift, so whether I'm making albums or not, or in the lime-light at any given time or not, I'll always be involved in music. There's a 3rd album coming out, kind-of a solo album, and Lord willing it will be out the 1st qtr of '96. So in just a few months here, you should be hearing of a 3rd album. It's called "Sweet Nothings from Pat Nobody" and I'm recording at SIR Studios just west of beautiful Eugene, OR. So look for that 3rd album coming out and Nobody Special's 2nd CD, "Call It Whatever You Want" will be re-released shortly as well.

FMG: What defines punk?

Pat: What defines punk!? Hmm... I think if you asked 10 or 20 different people that question, you'd get 10 or 20 different answers. Assuming you mean music and not the way of life; Punk to me has always been a more diversified term than most people I've talked with. I've always been suprised at how narrowly the word "punk" described music for some people. To me, it's always meant the real hardcores, and softcores, and anyone from ya know... Black Flag to the Minutemen, and all in-between. LA punk was always alot more thrashier and faster than OC punk, it was a little more melodic, a little slower - but all good and all punk. Nowadays it seems we've developed a few more terms to describe the harder edged stuff that we once may have called or grouped into the definition of punk. You know, you got your grundge, and your hippie-metal, and your speedcore, speedmetal, whatever. I think alot of it at one time, 10 or 15 yrs ago, might've all been classified under "punk". But, I think everyone's definition of punk is different - it's an attitude, it's not only a sound, and it comes through in the music. It can be as slow as Lou Reed, or as mainstream as the Sex Pistols, or as fast as Minor Threat or the Crucified, but it's all an attitude. Alot of it to me is punk, and again, you ask that question to anybody, you're gonna get a different answer, so... there's mine.

We Are Confident: That song, as you realize is co-written by St. Paul, and is basically sayint that, uh, Christian musicians out there seem to get the raw end of the deal. We're not gonna get the big shows, we're not gonna get the big distribution, we're not gonna get big money because, for the most part, unfortunately, you are Christian. And you're gonna be persecuted, you're gonna be held down for your faith. But, we will win in the end. We're gonna be hurt by people out there, and made fun of, and ridiculed, but stay strong - stay confident. You should know what you're doing and you should be prepared for these kinds of reactions - it should only make you stronger. Like Jesus said, you should be rejoicing when those things happen to you, and our compensation, for the most part, will not come while we're here, so you shouldn't be lookin' for it here, except to just be blessed that you're a part of God's kingdom and what's happening therein.

FMG: Why did you write "Burnt" and who is it about?

It's about relationships that young people strive for... not only young people, but older people as well. We're all looking for that perfect spouse or that perfect mate and it usually doesn't happen the way we want it to, unless you're completely blessed by God, ya know, which is good, but rare, in that sense. Most people are having or have had trouble in their relationship, especially if they're young and living at home. They're infactuated, they're caught up in their lover - their boyfriend or girlfriend - and if they break-up, it's devistating. Their school grades go down, they want to blow their heads off.... You know, dual suicides. I just heard a couple weeks ago about a young couple in LA. Their parents wouldn't let them see each other anymore so they went out and drowned themselves together. Um.., there's more to life than that, there's alot more to life than that. Even though these are painful and trying times, we have to keep our heads. You need to realize that times won't always be that difficult, and if you're a young Christian person today, you should know that you should be putting the Lord #1 in your life, and if you're not, you're settin' yourself up for a painful fall. And I think it's obvious the song Burnt is about Jesus.