ALEX MITCHELL INTERVIEW Alex Mitchell, the legendary Circus Of Power frontman was cool enough to do an interview for the site. Showbiz Al has been very busy in the past few years doing what I assume he does best, creating memorable Rock n Roll. I am looking foward to the new Fat Nancy cd, and if you don't already own them, I suggest you pick up Plastic Gator Machine's Rock n Soul Music and Uncle Max's Cosmic Band's Licking The Toad In The Black Church. Both are post COP projects of Alex, and neither dissapoint. On with the show........ circusofpower.net: Alex, you seem to be very happy with Fat Nancy. What can us fans expect from the new cd? Alex: FIRST OF ALL, I'M IN A SHITTY MOOD. JUST PUT ON THE RADIO AND THEY'VE YANKED HOWARD STERN'S SHOW OFF THE AIR. THE HELIUM VOICED DJ SAID IT'S TIME FOR SOMETHING MORE "FAMILY ORIENTED". IT'S 1984, TWENTY YEARS LATER. THIS COUNTRY HAS LOST IT'S MIND. FREEDOM IS DISAPPEARING AND IS BEING REPLACED BY RELIGIOUS NAZIS. IT'S TIME TO GET UP AND BREAK SOME SH*T OVER THERE F*CKIN HEADS. FAT NANCY. OH YEAH. THEY CAN EXPECT REAL ROCK MUSIC,DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING I'VE DONE OR ANYTHING THAT'S OUT THERE. DOWNLOADS NEXT MONTH. {webmaster note: the Stern thing ended up being a prank, but the point Alex made remains true} circusofpower.net: You have had some great song writing teams in your career, starting with Ricky Beck Mahler on the first COP record and Gary Sunshine on Vices. Now with Billy Tsounis. Do you search for a "magic" combination or is it just been fate so far? Alex: IT'S DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND WITH BILLY, WE'RE OLDER (OR MAYBE JUST OLD!) AND OUR BULLSHIT DETECTORS HAVE BEEN PERFECTED. NOW IF IT'S GOOD WE REALLY KNOW IT: OKAY IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. HE IS A PLEASURE TO CREATE WITH AND TO HANG WITH. VERY POSTIVE, VERY SMART AND VERY FUNNY. circusofpower.net: There are a few singers like David Bowie, Rob Halford and Alex Mitchell that I can sit back and listen to and think to myself, "Man that person can sing". Who do you listen to that makes you say the same thing? Alex: WELL THAT'S EASY. IT'S EITHER CHOPS OR SOUL OR BOTH. BUT THE GUY FROM SOUNDGARDEN CAN SING. JANIS JOPLIN COULD SING. H.R. FROM THE BAD BRAINS AMAZES ME. FREDDY MERCURY. THE GUY FROM THE DARKNESS. THESE FOLKS HAVE CHOPS. THEN THERE'S SOUL-HELL LEMMY'S GOT SOUL. TOM WAITS HAS SOUL. AL GREEN'S GOT TONS OF SOUL! circusofpower.net: Very few bands are lucky enough to be succesful, let alone put out a "classic" record. AC/DC has Back In Black, KISS has Destroyer, Sabbath has Paranoid, Circus Of Power has the debut. How does it feel to have recorded a record that rock fans consider a classic? Alex: IT MAKES ME WANT TO DO ANOTHER. PEOPLE THAT WANT TO CREATE NEVER REST ON THEIR LAURELS. UNLESS THEY ADOPT A SEVERE DRUG HABIT!GOTTA DO IT TILL THE WHEELS DROP OFF. JOHN LEE HOOKER, PERFORMING TILL THE END, HE ROCKS. circusofpower.net: You seem to be a very laid back easy going person, do you think that has hurt you in the past as far as the music business is concerned? Alex: DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, REALLY DON'T THINK ABOUT IT. THAT'S THAT OLD FATE THING, YOU KNOW, IF YOU KEEP YOUR STUFF OUT THERE THEN YOU NEVER KNOW. I LOVE MUSIC SO MUCH, I HAVE NO CHOICE. {webmaster note: That was a stupid question on my part. The guy's from COP seem very laid back. It almost seems like you need a business degree and be a bastard to deal with labels, but what the Hell do I know? Hey, it's only my second interview and I ain't no Sleazegrinder} circusofpower.net: You have a lot of cool ink. Are there any tattoos that you regret? Alex: I HAVE A LOT OF CRAPPY INK TOO BUT IT'S A PART OF ME NOW.ALL OF PART OF THAT LOVELY AND FRIGHTENING PROCESS OF GROWING UP. circusofpower.net: Does it surprise you that there are so many Circus fans around being that your last album came out 11 years ago? Alex: IT'S PEOPLE LIKE THEM AND YOURSELF THAT GOT ME BACK INTO BEING IN A BAND. (THAT AND THE PROSPECT OF SOME 18 YEAR OLD BETTY PAGE LOOKALIKE WITH A OLDER MAN FETISH MIGHT BECOME OBSESSED WITH ME THROUGH MY MUSIC) I AM A HUMBLE, SMALL MAN ON A HUGE PLANET IN A GIGANTIC UNIVERSE. THE FACT THAT ANYONE WOULD LIKE WHAT I DO IS A NICE THING. RING THE CHIMES! circusofpower.net: Does Fat Nancy seem like a band that will continue into the future? Alex: YES. circusofpower.net: A lot of guy's from COP, including yourself, have been very cool to me and my COP website. Is there anything you would like to tell the COP fans out there? Alex: YES, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO EXPRESS THEIR OUTRAGE AT THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AND VOTE THE SORRY *SSHOLES OUT OF A JOB. IF THAT'S IN YOUR WHEELHOUSE, OF COURSE. circusofpower.net: Alex, thanks for letting a fan bend your ear. We are all looking foward to the new Fat Nancy disc.................any last thoughts? Alex: MUSIC, ART, WRITING, ETC. ARE THE WORLDS MOST POWERFUL WEAPONS. USE THEM. AND FER CHRIST SAKES, BE NICE TO EACH OTHER. A big thank you to Alex Mitchell and Billy Tsounis for the interviews. Hit up the links page for my Uncle Max/Fat Nancy site and check out the related discography link for other Alex music.