Serving as nearly the only Political Punk outing of their scene, Shut Up Sidney combine the lyrical depth and insight of bands like the Dead Kennedys with the buzz and power of acts like The Exploited.
So, we troubled our good friend, frontman Steven Blind for some of his time... Chaos ensues.
So, we troubled our good friend, frontman Steven Blind for some of his time... Chaos ensues.
Photos by Dane Posner at Fuzzy Fest II
The following also serves as a lesson why one shouldn't interview through Facebook IM if you desire clarity, cohesion, or any sort of seriousness.
The following also serves as a lesson why one shouldn't interview through Facebook IM if you desire clarity, cohesion, or any sort of seriousness.
Tx Punk: So, how did you decide on the band name "Shut Up Sidney", and why?
Steven: I had written-out a list of names back when the band was just myself and a guitarist dicking-around in my living room, and "Shut Up Sidney" just stuck-out to me the most. I had other stuff on the list like "Toy Store", "Colonel Parker's Rednecks", largely weird, esoteric sort of stuff. None of it had enough "umph". Shut Up Sidney sounded harder, more appropriate for a punk band.
It's an old Sex Pistols reference, actually, particularly to Sid Vicious, obviously. I've never cared for his public image too much, particularly because it's cast this really idiotic, low-brow opinion for punk rock, in popular regards. That sort of thing hurts those of us who've happened-upon a rather "cliche" punk image, because we get rubbish from regular people, and others in the punk scene, for fuck's sake! You hear a lot about not conforming to the spikey hair and studs stuff, but if you're actively foregoing such a look, then you're still being quite contrived as you're still ultimately letting fashion decide your look for you. Twats.
Tx Punk: Alright Since the band is highly political, how about you go in to detail on some of the issues SUS covers or plans to address.
Steven: Well, we tend to touch-on a lot of things, though I'm finding that I generally approach things from a more "moralistic" sort of perspective.
I mean, that said, I find it odd that one has to even take note of something like "morals" in politics. In any other realm, that would just go without saying. THere's a problem ther, in my opinion.
Tx Punk: What are some of the band's biggest influences?
Steven: Musically, you mean?
Tx Punk: Musically, lyrically. Whatever you so choose.
Steven: Alright then. Musically, I've always really dug bands on the heavier side of things, like the Exploited, or more recently Discharge. The problem with that stuff is that there's not a lot of intellectuality or wit in such circles. You get that sort of thing from the usual suspects, like Jello Biafra's work, or the Sex Pistols
So, I eventually just thought, "why couldn't someone do both"?
Tx Punk: Very good point. So you guys have an album out now called "... And Then The World Raped Itself" any info you want to give readers about the record?
Steven: Well, it's actually not quite out yet... We're still getting together the necessary cash to press the damn thing But it's to be the group's first album, whenever we get it out, and I'd say the material on it is pretty consistently solid. We touch-on a lot of stuff, lyrically, and I'd like to think it's pretty sonically diverse, at least by hardcore punk standards
Tx Punk: What's your favorite Punk album?
Steven: That's a tough question. There's a lot of punk albums...
Tx Punk: It usually stumps everyone. *prods with stick*
Steven: The Dead Kennedys' first record's certainly up there, though I'd be remissed if I didn't mention the Sex Pistols' record, as well. Then you've got groups like Oxymoron, or even the Smiths, who I'd consider punk, personally. It's just too broad an inquiry to accurately answer. It's like that sort of middle class "What do we do" question you inevitably get at the end of political discussions.
Steven: I had written-out a list of names back when the band was just myself and a guitarist dicking-around in my living room, and "Shut Up Sidney" just stuck-out to me the most. I had other stuff on the list like "Toy Store", "Colonel Parker's Rednecks", largely weird, esoteric sort of stuff. None of it had enough "umph". Shut Up Sidney sounded harder, more appropriate for a punk band.
It's an old Sex Pistols reference, actually, particularly to Sid Vicious, obviously. I've never cared for his public image too much, particularly because it's cast this really idiotic, low-brow opinion for punk rock, in popular regards. That sort of thing hurts those of us who've happened-upon a rather "cliche" punk image, because we get rubbish from regular people, and others in the punk scene, for fuck's sake! You hear a lot about not conforming to the spikey hair and studs stuff, but if you're actively foregoing such a look, then you're still being quite contrived as you're still ultimately letting fashion decide your look for you. Twats.
Tx Punk: Alright Since the band is highly political, how about you go in to detail on some of the issues SUS covers or plans to address.
Steven: Well, we tend to touch-on a lot of things, though I'm finding that I generally approach things from a more "moralistic" sort of perspective.
I mean, that said, I find it odd that one has to even take note of something like "morals" in politics. In any other realm, that would just go without saying. THere's a problem ther, in my opinion.
Tx Punk: What are some of the band's biggest influences?
Steven: Musically, you mean?
Tx Punk: Musically, lyrically. Whatever you so choose.
Steven: Alright then. Musically, I've always really dug bands on the heavier side of things, like the Exploited, or more recently Discharge. The problem with that stuff is that there's not a lot of intellectuality or wit in such circles. You get that sort of thing from the usual suspects, like Jello Biafra's work, or the Sex Pistols
So, I eventually just thought, "why couldn't someone do both"?
Tx Punk: Very good point. So you guys have an album out now called "... And Then The World Raped Itself" any info you want to give readers about the record?
Steven: Well, it's actually not quite out yet... We're still getting together the necessary cash to press the damn thing But it's to be the group's first album, whenever we get it out, and I'd say the material on it is pretty consistently solid. We touch-on a lot of stuff, lyrically, and I'd like to think it's pretty sonically diverse, at least by hardcore punk standards
Tx Punk: What's your favorite Punk album?
Steven: That's a tough question. There's a lot of punk albums...
Tx Punk: It usually stumps everyone. *prods with stick*
Steven: The Dead Kennedys' first record's certainly up there, though I'd be remissed if I didn't mention the Sex Pistols' record, as well. Then you've got groups like Oxymoron, or even the Smiths, who I'd consider punk, personally. It's just too broad an inquiry to accurately answer. It's like that sort of middle class "What do we do" question you inevitably get at the end of political discussions.
Tx Punk: Alright then, what's your favorite number in the Shut Up Sidney catalog to play live?
Steven: We used to play a song called "Mosquerade", which would become the title track for our old demo, namely because we wrote-in this bit where the guitars drop-out towards the end and I'd just go-off on Herman Cain back when he was just a senator, or people like Allen West and whole those two and a lot of other people were promoting this sort of "Brown Scare" against muslims and the like. Needless to say, such things are still going on.
Steven: But I'd have to say our song Battlecry's my favorite to perform. It's fun whipping-out a Bible and goosestepping with a big rosary and just hamming it up as a crazy TV preacher
Tx Punk: That's simply fantastic. Haha. And it's my personal favorite. So, you guys have headlined festivals and seen your songs played on college radio, how is the newfound fame working out?
Steven: Actually, I mispoke of Herman Cain during there. He was never a senator, come to think of it
Tx Punk: Stvn plz
Steven: Alex plz.
Tx Punk: (all of this is being copy and pasted word for word btw)
Steven: I was thinking of Peter King Though I did mention Herman Cain during said rants, as he was a figure in the Tea Party, even back than Anyways, what did you ask there?
Tx Punk: I asked: "So, you guys have headlined festivals and seen your songs played on college radio, how is the newfound fame working out?"
Steven: If by "fame" you mean "being broke and struggling to keep our band going whilst having to maintain shitty day-jobs for rubbish pay", then we're trucking along, just like any other band around here. Being a musician of any kind in Houston is tough. Hell, being any sort of artistically-inclined sort is difficult here in Houston. It's a fucking boomtown, basically. Work-oriented. Get up, go to work or school, then go to bed and shut up. But we've all got just enough distractions to keep us from raising too much of fuss about it. Who needs genuine culture when you've got an i-phone that can practically scratch your balls for you?
A lot of that's true anywhere, but here it's particularly glaring.
Tx Punk: I know you personally have a side project from SUS, care to elaborate?
Steven: I wouldn't call it a side-project as it's really just a separate project. It's a progressive industrial band called "Midnight Carnival". About 3/4s of SUS is in that band, as well. It's quite a different beast, though.
Steven: We used to play a song called "Mosquerade", which would become the title track for our old demo, namely because we wrote-in this bit where the guitars drop-out towards the end and I'd just go-off on Herman Cain back when he was just a senator, or people like Allen West and whole those two and a lot of other people were promoting this sort of "Brown Scare" against muslims and the like. Needless to say, such things are still going on.
Steven: But I'd have to say our song Battlecry's my favorite to perform. It's fun whipping-out a Bible and goosestepping with a big rosary and just hamming it up as a crazy TV preacher
Tx Punk: That's simply fantastic. Haha. And it's my personal favorite. So, you guys have headlined festivals and seen your songs played on college radio, how is the newfound fame working out?
Steven: Actually, I mispoke of Herman Cain during there. He was never a senator, come to think of it
Tx Punk: Stvn plz
Steven: Alex plz.
Tx Punk: (all of this is being copy and pasted word for word btw)
Steven: I was thinking of Peter King Though I did mention Herman Cain during said rants, as he was a figure in the Tea Party, even back than Anyways, what did you ask there?
Tx Punk: I asked: "So, you guys have headlined festivals and seen your songs played on college radio, how is the newfound fame working out?"
Steven: If by "fame" you mean "being broke and struggling to keep our band going whilst having to maintain shitty day-jobs for rubbish pay", then we're trucking along, just like any other band around here. Being a musician of any kind in Houston is tough. Hell, being any sort of artistically-inclined sort is difficult here in Houston. It's a fucking boomtown, basically. Work-oriented. Get up, go to work or school, then go to bed and shut up. But we've all got just enough distractions to keep us from raising too much of fuss about it. Who needs genuine culture when you've got an i-phone that can practically scratch your balls for you?
A lot of that's true anywhere, but here it's particularly glaring.
Tx Punk: I know you personally have a side project from SUS, care to elaborate?
Steven: I wouldn't call it a side-project as it's really just a separate project. It's a progressive industrial band called "Midnight Carnival". About 3/4s of SUS is in that band, as well. It's quite a different beast, though.
Tx Punk: Anything you'd like to say to anyone reading this?
Steven: Like what, or whom?
Tx Punk: You can say anything you want Stevei this is your dream moment you can say anything
Steven: I can't really think of anything that wouldn't seem pedantic or sloganeering...
Tx Punk: How about some insightful words about yo thuggin life mang Something to end the interview?
Steven: Okay, well, I'll engage in a bit of Hollywood script wanking and talk about what I've learned!
Tx Punk: Be sure to use that british accent!
Steven: Interviews are awkward and contrived processes, even online.
Tx Punk: Even more so online, and especially coming from a repetitious interviewer such as myself
Steven: I think I sound more Australian more than anything, 'probably because I have an affinity for the word "mate"
Tx Punk: 'Though I'd say getting off trackmakes it more interesting. Idk, I cant tell much difference between said two accents.
Steven: And, no, inquiring minds; I have no clue as to why I've got this stupid accent. I feel like Madonna, in vernacular regards Also, Y U NO BLATANTLY BADGER ME ABOUT POLITIKZ!?
Tx Punk: Because socialism thats why
Steven: Socialism good, generally. Well, maybe not "generally", as people don't generally know what it means anymore
Tx Punk: Hammer & Sickle steven. care to explain your affinity for said symbol?
Steven: I tend to kien it to two things: For one, the aformentioned misconceptions about the philosophy of socialism; Everyone in the U.S. seems to think socialim or communism is something like the Soviet Union, or North Korea, or China, when, in reality, it has nothing to do with those
Two, I kind of flaunt the hammer and sickle the same way the British punks ironically slapped-on swastikas and the like in the 70s I think King Diamond's sacastic handling of Satanism at times influenced my approach to SUS's imagery as well. He was a very knowledgable LeVayan Satanist who did a lot to try and quell the misconceptions about such things, though he still used said misconceptions and the like in Mercyful Fate's music. I'd like to think we do the same with socialism, in a way.
Steven: Like what, or whom?
Tx Punk: You can say anything you want Stevei this is your dream moment you can say anything
Steven: I can't really think of anything that wouldn't seem pedantic or sloganeering...
Tx Punk: How about some insightful words about yo thuggin life mang Something to end the interview?
Steven: Okay, well, I'll engage in a bit of Hollywood script wanking and talk about what I've learned!
Tx Punk: Be sure to use that british accent!
Steven: Interviews are awkward and contrived processes, even online.
Tx Punk: Even more so online, and especially coming from a repetitious interviewer such as myself
Steven: I think I sound more Australian more than anything, 'probably because I have an affinity for the word "mate"
Tx Punk: 'Though I'd say getting off trackmakes it more interesting. Idk, I cant tell much difference between said two accents.
Steven: And, no, inquiring minds; I have no clue as to why I've got this stupid accent. I feel like Madonna, in vernacular regards Also, Y U NO BLATANTLY BADGER ME ABOUT POLITIKZ!?
Tx Punk: Because socialism thats why
Steven: Socialism good, generally. Well, maybe not "generally", as people don't generally know what it means anymore
Tx Punk: Hammer & Sickle steven. care to explain your affinity for said symbol?
Steven: I tend to kien it to two things: For one, the aformentioned misconceptions about the philosophy of socialism; Everyone in the U.S. seems to think socialim or communism is something like the Soviet Union, or North Korea, or China, when, in reality, it has nothing to do with those
Two, I kind of flaunt the hammer and sickle the same way the British punks ironically slapped-on swastikas and the like in the 70s I think King Diamond's sacastic handling of Satanism at times influenced my approach to SUS's imagery as well. He was a very knowledgable LeVayan Satanist who did a lot to try and quell the misconceptions about such things, though he still used said misconceptions and the like in Mercyful Fate's music. I'd like to think we do the same with socialism, in a way.
Tx Punk: An last words?
Steven: Last words? Forgive the rambling, I suppose.
Tx Punk: Your fine, Steven. *You're
Steven: Fine then. I want new last words, in that case
Tx Punk: ALL of this is getting posted, including our rambling, so "new" last words is a relative term.
Steven: Like, as in a direct cut and paste?
Tx Punk: That's what I said earlier.
Steven: Right then As for my last words... (dramatic ellipses, eh?) Would you like to know who I'm voting for this coming election? That seems like a good note to part-on, given our discussion prior to it
Tx Punk: That would be interesting actually. I'm curious personally.
Steven: Oh, well I was just gonna be silly twat and say something ridiculous, like writing-in Jean-Claude Van Damme, or something...
Tx Punk: Well, that's good enough for me, but you can answer seriously if you would like to.
Steven: But if you're honestly curious, I'm not voting. Things at the federal level have become so co-opted by corporate money that the people given enough financial support to reach such a position have been marginalized to such a narrow degree that no one viable will be getting into the White House anytime soon.
And, no, Ron Paul's just a loony old codger... Even by libertarian standards, I might add. And this is coming from a libertarian, mind you.
Tx Punk: Thank you for your time, insight, and patience.
Steven: No problem, mate. Cheers.
Steven: Last words? Forgive the rambling, I suppose.
Tx Punk: Your fine, Steven. *You're
Steven: Fine then. I want new last words, in that case
Tx Punk: ALL of this is getting posted, including our rambling, so "new" last words is a relative term.
Steven: Like, as in a direct cut and paste?
Tx Punk: That's what I said earlier.
Steven: Right then As for my last words... (dramatic ellipses, eh?) Would you like to know who I'm voting for this coming election? That seems like a good note to part-on, given our discussion prior to it
Tx Punk: That would be interesting actually. I'm curious personally.
Steven: Oh, well I was just gonna be silly twat and say something ridiculous, like writing-in Jean-Claude Van Damme, or something...
Tx Punk: Well, that's good enough for me, but you can answer seriously if you would like to.
Steven: But if you're honestly curious, I'm not voting. Things at the federal level have become so co-opted by corporate money that the people given enough financial support to reach such a position have been marginalized to such a narrow degree that no one viable will be getting into the White House anytime soon.
And, no, Ron Paul's just a loony old codger... Even by libertarian standards, I might add. And this is coming from a libertarian, mind you.
Tx Punk: Thank you for your time, insight, and patience.
Steven: No problem, mate. Cheers.
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