Mindless Self Indulgence Live In Chicago - Jimmy Urine Interview

Mindless Self Indulgence
Congress Theater
Chicago, Illinois
07/14/2006
Live Photos


Mindless Self Indulgence, a NYC based co-ed punk band, headlined the Congress Theater, Chicago, Illinois to a sold-out crowd of sweltering, sweaty punksters where if you didn’t have red, green, pink, or spiked hair, you’d stand out in the crowd.

We’ll borrow MSI’s Warning that can be found on the inside cover of MSI's album, Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy, as it should blanket MusicPix’ coverage of this edgy, flamboyant, and honestly, talented group of musicians.

[WARNING! You must listen to this album with your tongue planted firmly in your cheek. If you don't have a sense of irony, or you are a piece of shit bigot, or a fundamentalist anything, return this album immediately, don't come to our shows, don't wear our t-shirts. Fuck off. If you're a parent who neglects, beats, or doesn't show your child love, know that we don't condone violence so don't waste our time in court while you try to explain to a jury how our music made your "happy & normal" child into a deranged lunatic. Thank You Very Much.]

Mindless Self Indulgence Photos

Now, having said that, attending an MSI show is brutal, funny, and an entertaining experience. The crowd itself, which were dropping like flies due to the heat, were ‘mindless’ to say the least. Jimmy hit the stage with a jacket that had ‘Back in 5 Minutes’ taped on his back which was the first of many stage antics that followed. From putting out a lit cigarette in band mate Steve Righ?’s mouth, to pulling fans on stage for money, to waving and humping various sex toys and stuffed animals, Jimmy pulled out all of the tricks. Jimmy screams, “I stink. I smell. I just got out of bed.” Bass player, Lyn Z helped Little Jim freshen up on stage as Jimmy requested personal hygiene products from the audience. Lyn Z applied deodorant over his drenched shirt; Jimmy brushed his teeth and proceeded to spit on the audience. Crowd favorites were: Shut Me up, Bitches, Stupid Motherf!*cker, Faggot, and I Hate Jimmy Page, and Straight to Video. Lyrically, Jimmy spits out lyrics so fast, he’s a rapper disguised in punky pink. MSI’s encore is one of the wildest things that we’ve ever seen…Jimmy stood in the middle of the stage with his back to the audience, holding a sign that read ‘Kisses $1.” Little Jimmy stood throughout a seemingly endless song with the lights up as fans waved dollar bills. Jimmy & Co was still accepting cash, kissing fans, and signing autographs as we packed it in.

MSI’s music is fresh, the performance is fun and funny, and the language is as raw and nasty as it comes… just the way MSI and their fans like it. The show opened with Jimmy asking the crowd multiple times: “Did you get the memo? Did you get the memo? We’re selling out. We’re sold out. We’re selling out across the country.” MSI is selling out the world too as well, as fans are being created due to the uncensored world-wide-web. MSI was the #1 artist/video artist on MySpace for the last three months of 2005.

MusicPix had the opportunity to interview Little Jimmy Urine prior to the Chicago show and our conversation ranks high on the humor scale. Jimmy doesn’t want you to know it… but I assure you, he’s intelligent, he’s talented, and he’s having a gas playing by his own rules, on his playground, called Mindless Self Indulgence.

Mindless Self Indulgence Photos


Interview With Jimmy Urine-Mindless Self Indulgence


MusicPix: We’ve had a lot of fun getting to know you and Mindless Self Indulgence and we’re looking forward to your show next week at the Congress Theater in Chicago. We hope that you’re all sugared up and ready to go… [Jimmy is a sugar freak]

Jimmy: Yeah, I’m working on it right now…I’ve got a Cherry Coke and its all flat.

MusicPix: If there was a MSI video game…what would it be like? Describe the players, the objective, and how do you win?

Jimmy: First off, it would definitely be 16 bit…it would definitely have to be some kind of scrolling mega-man 16 bit…there would be a lot of puzzles, tons of mini-games…as many mini-games that you could fit in there that’s for sure. You would probably have some kind of stupid controller that only came out with that one game and died like a power glove. You’d probably only remember the controller and not the game.

MusicPix: So how do you win?

Jimmy: Oh, it would be one of those long ass adventure games where you never really get to the end and you find somebody who doesn’t have a life who did…

MusicPix: Here’s a two part question. You released your first album, Tight, in 1998…

Jimmy: Oohh, you’ve done some research…look at that!

MusicPix: Yeah, that’s the fun part! So why did you get into music in the first place?

Jimmy: It just happened to work then…that’s pretty much it. I don’t have any really special, you know, ‘I had a dream…and then it was I was always inspired by blah, blah, blah…’ all that bullshit that everybody always fucking feeds you. Fortunately, everybody really loves that shit and eats it up. For me, it either sounds good, it looks good, it works, you do it. Or you’re making money at it…

MusicPix: OK, part 2…now eight years later, do you want to be in music business for the same reason?

Jimmy: Yeah… cause actually now we’re IN business…if it stopped and we were selling to like 10 people, like with some little cult behind us, I’m sure we’d say, fuck this.

MusicPix: What’s the hardest thing about being Jimmy Urine?

Jimmy: Probably…getting ready right before the show is just fucking annoying. I never want to do it right before. Then once we start, we have a good time. The best part is the last song…because all I have to do is get through one more song so I can just go fuck off and do whatever I want. You never know what you’re gonna get when you pull into every town. There’s no dressing room, there’s no place to shit…so that for me is the hardest part…everything else is easy. It’s fuckin’ pie. I’m surprised that nobody else does….well actually a lot of people do this shit and they do it pretty badly…but they do do it.

MusicPix: OK, hit the rewind button of your life.

Jimmy: SFX: (makes tape wind noise)

MusicPix: You’re 12 years old and you are sitting in your room with your head phones on. What are you listening to?

Jimmy: Ahh, see that’s the difference. I never bought any records. When I was 12, I was really into movies…I was into Star Wars and all that shit. I had a lot of older movies and stuff like that, so all I would do is buy soundtracks to movies. I never bought any rock records until I was much older…17 or 18….

MusicPix: OK…hit the fast forward button and you’re 17…

Jimmy: SFX: (makes tape wind noise..) You’re going to break my tape machine if you keep doing that… It’s not about what you’re listening to anymore. It’s about what are you ripping off from Limewire. Come on, are you really going to buy anything now? Who’s going to buy a CD anymore? You only buy a CD anymore if you’re for certain that every song is probably pretty good, or the entire sound is what you want, or the artwork is some fuckin’ hologram. Other than that, go on Limewire and download the MP3…I’m all for it.

MusicPix: The CD’s would be like vinyl…you’re a vinyl collector.

Jimmy: Yeah, but you try to move 30 crates of vinyl and all of sudden you realize that vinyl sucks!

MusicPix: I’ve done it…

Jimmy: I’ve knocked 30 crates down to 10 and I’m still trying to knock ‘em down to 2.

MusicPix: While we’re on the subject of age…Jagger will be 63 years old this year and probably didn’t realize that he’d be singing “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” for most of his life. Do you think you’ll still be singing Shut Me Up when you’re 63?

Jimmy: (adamantly) NO NO…not unless I’m making that kind of money then fuck yeah, I’ll sing whatever the fuck you want. I’ll sing “Happy Birthday.”


MusicPix: Which leads into the next question…Would you rather be wealthy & bummed or poor & happy?

Jimmy: Hmmm, is anybody really poor & happy? I have yet to meet a poor person who’s happy… who isn’t happy because they are drunk and on crack.

MusicPix: So I take it you’d rather be wealthy?

Jimmy: Come on…we’re living in a capitalist society, come on-hello. If I moved to China, then I’d be much happier. Oh wait, they are capitalists too. They’re capitalists and communists…uh oh, wait a minute, he’s smart. Stop, better erase that part.

MusicPix: [Laughing] You’re revealing too much…

Jimmy: Wait, I’m like a lemon, no that’s an onion…which ever one makes you cry.

MusicPix: I understand that you hate music and you hate musicians…so why are you in a band?

Jimmy: Because so far, it’s easy. If was hard, I wouldn’t be doing it. I like movies. I like comic books. I originally wanted to be in comic books and it just ended up that I could write songs.

MusicPix: So were you Marvel or DC?

Jimmy: Not really, I was into more independent stuff like Love & Rockets and stuff like that. But if I had to pick between Marvel and DC? Of course, I have to pick Marvel because they actually live in real places like Manhattan as opposed to Metropolis…

MusicPix: It seems to be just as important for the band to be entertained during your live shows as it is for the audience…what do you consider entertaining?

Jimmy: Yeah! Usually kids that come in full mascot outfits is always good because I’m surprised they can survive in the pit dressed up as Blues Clues completely. Usually when they bring bizarre things…fun stuff. Somebody topped absolutely the best thing ever given to me which was an authentic WWII German helmet they brought to the show…I don’t know why.

MusicPix: Are you as outrageous in your personal life as in your stage life?

Jimmy: Of course! All the rumors are true and I expect you or anybody to misquote me and write as many rumors as possible.

MusicPix: So you do wear pink and spike your hair to go to the grocery store?

Jimmy: Of course, who wouldn’t?

MusicPix: OK, we’ll be on the outlook for you….

Jimmy: Yeah, I’ll be the homeless guy next to you with the pink hair!

MusicPix: AND you’re HAPPY!#*!?

Jimmy: Yeah, I’m ecstatic because I’m smokin’ a rock…[laughing]

MusicPix: I know you say you hate music but come on…what kind of music turns you on? What really getting you going?

Jimmy: It’s really about little bits and pieces. I scan everything. The reason why I hate it? If I was in the film industry, I’d hate film. If I was in comic books, I’m sure I’d hate comics because I analyze the shit out of it. And that’s all I do. I’ll listen to every single thing that comes out and steal pieces of it. I’ll listen to something and I’ll go WOW that was the worst rap I’ve ever heard but that track was amazing and I’m going to rip off that kick drum from that track. Go on Limewire and download the track or stuff like that. Or someone will play something from a soundtrack and you’ll hear a song in the background and you’ll go ‘what was that song, I’ve never heard that song before.’ Just taking pieces and listening to little bits to make new and different stuff. That’s how I work with music and that’s why I can’t stand it because it’s all just trivia, or who’s doing what, or who’s on MTV, or WOW I like that kick drum. It’s never like, “I’m listening to that and it making me inspired… No-the words and the lyrics (sarcastically)...NO-NO-NO.

MusicPix: If you say it’s so annoying…what is your perfect musical world, how would you define it?

Jimmy: My perfect musical world would be if everybody who put out everything, had to go through me first. I would get to edit it before it got on to the streets. I could say, ‘oh, no-no-no-no, she shouldn’t be in the band because she’s ugly, kick her out! Or this is the single you should lead with and you’re idiots if you don’t…or adults put those lyrics in, they’re retarded, or check the ending and make it the beginning.’ I want to be the final editor before it gets spit out to the world.

MusicPix: I enjoyed that explanation but I’ll rephrase it. I mean what excites you, what turns you on…meaning you want to have a nice evening with your significant other and you want to really have a great time.

Jimmy: Well I wouldn’t want to listen to music because you want to listen to the other person that you are fucking. I want to hear all of the sounds and I want the lights on. I wouldn’t put on Luther Vandross, turn the lights down…NO! You want to hear everybody moaning, (SFX), the natural sound of sex and I want to see everything…no scented candles or shit like that. Nice and raw like a porno.

MusicPix: Let’s go back to music…

Jimmy: Boy, you guys love music!

MusicPix: No question…it’s our life.

Jimmy: What is it about the music business that challenges you the most?

Jimmy: I think that the great thing that we’ve done with Mindless Self Indulgence is the fact that we were able to do what we wanted to do…we set out to do a lot of unorthodox things, not just in the way we make music but in the way we market ourselves and everything like that and a lot of people we’re just like’ no-no-no, you can’t do it that way.’ And without radio and MTV and all that, we were able to get on the actual Billboard 200 and now more than a year later after this record was put out and the single on this record is still on the dam singles/dance charts…Somewhere around 3 or 4…I think it might have just fallen down on the regular singles chart to about 20 or something like that and that’s done completely done by the way that we’ve done it without listening to anybody…by very grassroots and internet savvy marketing style and I think that was the challenge. To me, that’s the best part when you go home and go HA HA, we did it the way we wanted to do it and we came out on top.

MusicPix: Who’s involved in the decision making process for the band?

Jimmy: I am, Managers, Business Managers, Agents, you know…stuff like that. We all definitely have a big influence on each other in decision making and how we want to be represented and style and things that we want to say and how we want to be perceived as a band. There’s not one person that says, “Suck It.” Hey kiddie “Suck It”…everybody has a say on that type of thing. We’re all very vocal and we’re all very opinionated…it’s not just me being an ass and that helps in the overall image that we portray (sarcastic tone.)

MusicPix: The statistics of being a #1 MySpace Artist for either music and /or video for the last three months of last year is pretty dam amazing and so you’ve got it goin.’

Jimmy: Yeah, people on the internet are starting to learn about it now…like with MySpace, it’s like having a secret world in your head…I’m big in my own head… I ask, “Are you big in your own mind or big online?’ People have said, ‘I’ve heard of Mindless Self Indulgence but I’ve never seen you on MTV. But if you’re on the internet and search Mindless Self Indulgence, you’ll come up with a hell of a lot of results…on any kind of Google search. Believe me, I Google myself da the time….!

MusicPix: Any how does it feel?

Jimmy: It’s fun. I look at myself and say how good I look there and oh, why did they use that shot, I look like hell in that shot…

MusicPix: What would you be doing if you weren’t in MSI?

Jimmy: I would be the best stock boy you ever came across…I’d want to be a stock boy with no possibly of getting promoted. I don’t want to be the Manager…I just want to be Stock Boy [whispers].

MusicPix: That should be one of your new songs…what was that song from the 80’s? “ I Want To Be a Cowboy” but yours would be “I Want To Be a Stock Boy.”

Jimmy: Sings: And ‘You Can Be My Stock Girl…’

MusicPix: I enjoy and applaud your content warning, but it makes me wonder…have you wasted your time in court with a parent of a deranged child?

Jimmy: No, not yet I haven’t had the chance to do that yet. I’m sure it will come up. Usually, it’s the parents that are taking them to the show and picking them up afterward. So far, we’ve got the Moms on our side…Mom’s they love us cause we’re cute.

MusicPix: Obviously you’re into outrageous….how far will you go?

Jimmy: As long as people are enjoying it, and I’m entertaining myself and I can get away with it, I’ll do it. I’ve gotten away with a hell of a lot. So far, so good.

MusicPix: We have a series of questions that we ask every artist we interview called the MusicPix Six.

Jimmy: Oooh, just like ‘Inside the Actor’s Studio’…

MusicPix: What is the first musical instrument you played and at what age?

Jimmy: Commodore 64…I had some weird ass program…it was the only computer I could get my hands from a thrift shop with some shitty cartridge thing in it and it was probably when I was 9-11.

MusicPix: What artist/performer influenced you the most?

Jimmy: Little Jimmy Urine!

MusicPix: If you weren’t in your current band, what band would you like to play in?

Jimmy: I would not like to be in a band if I wasn’t in this band. I would be a PA on a movie. I wouldn’t want to be in another band unless I could sabotage the band from the inside out. No scratch that, I wouldn’t want to be in a band, I would just like to be in publishing from a very successful band, say with the Spice Girls. I’d like to do all of Spice Girls publishing-that’s what I want.

MusicPix: What are your 3 ‘desert island’ albums?

Jimmy: It wouldn’t be albums-it would have to be movies.

MusicPix: Now wait a minute…how can you have 30 crates of albums and then say you don’t have 3 favorites?

Jimmy: As long as I can bring all 30 crates of records that’s great and a nice little DJ and you’re going to carry those 30 creates of records to the island…be my guest…(laughing). I would rather take a wallet of DVD’s than 30 crates of records. But OK. If I have to be on a desert island, I would have a CD of people talking like I’m actually somewhere with people. A CD with people gettin’ it on so that I can jack off to it…and a CD and a very large loud speaker that just repeats, “Help, I’m trapped on a fucking desert island with 3 fucking records.’ Eventually, a ship will hear it and come by and pick me the fuck up.

MusicPix: Who do you think is the most over-rated in the music industry?

Jimmy: Everybody BUT me.

MusicPix: What’s your ‘perfect world?’

Jimmy: We’re going to have to start with lightening coming out of my hands… laser beams coming out of my eyes. I am able to control time-space-dimension and I can go to any desert island that I want with my 30 crates of records.

The Band

Vocals - Little Jimmy Urine
Guitar - Steve, Righ?
Bass - Lyn-Z
Drums - Kitty


Discography

2006 CD (Remix Single) "Straight To Video: The Remixes"
2005 Vinyl (Double) "You'll Rebel To Anything"
2005 CD (Clean) "You'll Rebel To Anything"
2005 CD "You'll Rebel To Anything"
2004 MP3 (Coachella Exclusive) "1989"
2003 CD (Tour Demo) "Despierta Los Niños"
2002 CD (Live) "Alienating Our Audience"
2002 CD (By Side Project The Left Rights) "What The Coool Retards Are Listening To"
2000 CD (Maxi Single) "Planet of the Apes"
2000 CD (Maxi Single) "Bitches"
2000 CD "Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy"
1999 CD "Tight"
1999 CD/Vinyl (MSI's interpretation of the Method Man classic) "Bring the Pain"
1998 Cassette "Tornado/Bring the Pain"
1998 Cassette "Tight/Bring the Pain"
1998 Cassette "Pantyshot/Bring the Pain"
1998 CD (Unreleased) "Pink"
1997 CD (Unreleased) "Mindless Self Indulgence"


The Tour

7/15/2006 Grand Rapids, MI
7/16/2006 Columbus, OH
7/17/2006 Washington, DC
7/19/2006 Hartford, CT
7/20/2006 Worcester, MA
7/21/2006 Sayreville, NJ
7/22/2006 Toronto, ON
7/23/2006 Montreal, QU

By

Gwyn Tyme

W/Steve Mitchell