I ALWAYS HEARD OF THIS BAND'S NAME BUT NEVER SUCCEEDED IN FINDING ANYTHING... WHEN ONE DAY GIDEON SMITH IN PERSON CONTACTED ME CONCERNING HOW HE LIKED GARBAGE DUMP AND AFTER HAVING RECEIVED THEIR LATEST, GREAT ALBUM "SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN" OUT ON SMALLSTONE RECORDS, I DECIDED TO DROP THE BALL SENDING HIM A FEW QUESTIONS VIA E-MAIL AND THE FOLLOWING IS WHAT HE ANSWERED!!! THIS MAN IS ONE OF THE KINDEST PERSONS I HAVE EVER MET DOING THIS MAG, PERIOD. JUST A FEW QUESTIONS AND WHAT HE RETURNED WAS EXTENSIVE AND VERY ACCURATE, AN INSIDE-VIEW OF HIS BAND AND HIS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS BEING A SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN HIMSELF... AND SO I DECIDED TO PUT IT ONLINE AS IT IS!!!

GD- Please introduce the band to the unaware readers....
"I WAS A GOOFY MUSIC FAN, A BIG TIME ROCK AND ROLL DEVOTE WHO WORSHIPPED AT THE VINYL TURN TABLE AND LIT CANLDES AND STARED AT POSTERS AND FLYERS TAPED ON MY WALLS. ONE DAY I WAS SITTING ON THE COUCH READING THE KAMA SUTRA AND GOD APPEARED IN MY LIVING ROOM, WEARING A HARLEY T-SHIRT AND A BIG BLACK COWBOY HAT, AND SAID 'GIDEON SMITH....DROP THAT MORON LIFE YOU'RE LIVING AND START THE ULTIMATE ROCK BAND!' THEN HE STROKED HIS LONG WHITE BEARD AND SAID 'I MEAN NOW BOY!!" THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE DEVIL APPEARED,LOOKED AT ME WITH GLEE AND SAID 'SOUNDS GOOD TO ME GID!!!" AND I WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTING SPARKING OFF A SKYNYRD RECORD AND BOUNCING OFF AN ANTiSEEN SEVEN INCH, IT JUMPED INTO MY EYES AND I INSTANTLY WROTE THE ENTIRE FIRST EP OF SONGS ON A BEAT UP ACOUSTIC GUITAR. SO THEN I WAS LEFT ALONE SURROUNDED BY SMOKE AND LITTLE STARS, AND I HAD TO TAKE THE VISION AND MAKE IT REALITY. BUT HOW! AT THE TIME, I HAD THREE JOBS..WORKED LIKE A BASTARD AND WAS ALWAYS BROKE. SO TO MAKE THE CDI GOT A JOB AT A RECORDING STUDIO TO SCAM FREE RECORDING HOURS, I WAS A DELIVERY DRIVER. THEN WHEN I GOT TWO FREE DAYS OF TIME I RECRUITED THE GUYS FROM ANIMAL BAG (OTIS, KEITH AND BOO) AND THEY LEARNED MY SONGS IN A BASEMENT AT THIS GUY JODY'S HOUSE. SO WE RECORDED THE EP IN TWO DAYS. I MADE 1000 COPIES, FOLDED THE COVERS MYSELF AT A COPYSHOP, MAILED THEM AROUND. GAME TWO GOT ONE AND OFFERED TO PICK IT UP AND DO DISTRO, THEN THE CDS GOT ALL AROUND THE WORLD AND GATHERED SOME REVIEWS AND BUZZ. THANKS TO THE GAME TWO GUYS HARD WORK AND ALOT OF LUCK, IT SOLD OUT! NEXT THING YOU KNOW, MY BRO LUCIANO IN ITALY TOLD ME TO SEND ONE TO SMALLSTONE RECORDS, A FEW WEEKS LATER, SCOTT FROM SMALLSTONE CALLED ME AND OFFERED ME A DEAL. I CHECKED OUT THE SMALLSTONE BANDS AND I LOVED THEM, SO I KNEW SCOTT WAS GONNA BE THE MAN TO HELP ME GET THE BAND IN MAXIMUM DAMAGE SEARCH AND DESTORY MODE. SO I CALLED MY FRIENDS WHO COULD PLAY: JOSE, MIKE AND BRAD,THE BAND TOGETHER AND WE RECORDED THE 'SOUTHERN GENTLEMEN' CD. IT WAS COMPLETELY AMAZING, IT ALL FELL TOGETHER QUICKLY AND EASILY, SO I GUESS IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME. I WORKED MY ASS OFF TO GET IT TOGETHER ON LITTLE MONEY, NO BAND MEMBERS, NO EQUIPMENT, NO NOTHING- BUT MY DRIVE WAS SO STRONG I MADE IT HAPPEN FAST COS INSPIRATION CAN MOVE IMPOSSIBLE MOUNTAINS IF YOU BELIEVE AND DON'T GIVE UP NO MATTER WHAT ANYBODY SAYS. IF A VISION STRIKES YOU, SEIZE IT AND DONT LET IT GO. BUT I'M FORTUNATE IT HAPPENED REAL FAST. I WAS JUST A BIG MUSIC MANIAC THAT SAID, 'FUCK IT, I'M GONNA DO IT!' AND THERE IT IS. THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING TODAY AND THAT'S WHAT I'LL BE DOING EVER AFTER!"

GD- Your first single was released on Game Two Records, which is famous to be home of great stoner rock bands, do you feel to partake the category or what's the matter?
"SURE, THAT LABEL HAS PUT OUT SOME PREMIER DOOM AND STONER STUFF. GREAT PEOPLE TO WORK WITH, REAL INNOVATORS IN THAT FIELD. I DONT' THINK WE FIT INTO IT AS WELL AS WE MIGHT HAVE, WE KINDA OF WENT IN THE BLUES, SWAMP ROCK AND PSYCHEDELIC ACID WHISKEY ROCKIN' DIRECTION INSTEAD OF REGULAR DOOM AS A VEIN, BUT I LIKE ALOT OF THAT STUFF AND I AM THANKFUL CAUSE THAT'S WHAT OPENED THE DOORS FOR ME TO GET A BAND GOING AND GET OUR NAME OUT THERE. I LOVED VITUS AND SABBATH, BUT ALSO CREEDENCE, ALLMANS, SKYNYRD AND AC/DC. STILL DO. AND STRANGELY IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S ALOT OF GROUPS OUT THERE WHO ARE GROWN FROM SAME..I WAS SHOCKED WHEN MY EYES OPENED TO ALL THE BANDS OUT THEREWHO LIKED THE SAME THINGS I DID, CAUSE FOR YEARS EVERYBODY WAS LIKE "GID- YOU'RE LIVIN IN THE PAST!" AND LAUGHING AT ME, THEN SIX, SEVEN YEARS LATER I REALIZE I'M NOT THE ONLY WOLF ON THE MOUNTAIN. I HEARD THE OTHER ONES HOWLING IN THE DISTANCE AND IT TOUCHED MY SOUL, YOU KNOW..LIKE, SHIT I'M NOT ALONE! OR, WE'RE NOT ALONE..CAUSE MY BAND GUYS ARE THE SAME WAY. BUT YEAH IF YOU CALL OUR BAND STONER THATS FINE CAUSE WE'RE ALL LOADED AND ROCKING SOMEWHERE EVERYDAY ANYWAY HAHAHA. THE MIGHTY GREEN DOOR WILL SHOW YOU THE TRUTH BABY. I THINK IT JUST MEANS BRINGING A LITTLE APACHE DESERT TRIP VIBE INTO 70'S GUITAR ROCK WITH SOME SABBATH HEAVINESS, AND A DOSE OF ALIEN ABDUCTION OUTERSPACE GIRL LOVIN'!"

GD-I Know you mentioned ANTiSEEN and ATP, what are your connections with the bands? Do you like their music?
"I LOVE A-SEEN! I'M AN OLD SCHOOL FAN, I'VE PROBABLY SEEN THEM A THOUSAND TIMES AND I TREASURE ALL THE RECORDS AND ITEMS I HAVE COLLECTED OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS. I KNOW THE BOYS, ALL THE PAST AND PRESENT GANG, AND THEY'RE THE BEST FOLKS, REAL COOL AND GENUINE. JEFF'S ALWAYS BEEN LIKE A BROTHER AND MENTOR TO ME, I'M HAPPY I HAVE SPENT TIME WITH CLAYTON,JOE YOUNG, O' KEEFE, BARRY, DOUG..I LEARNED ALOT IF NOT ALL FROM THAT BAND IN MANY WAYS, IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO TALK ABOUT. JEFF, JOE YOUNG, TOM O'KEEFE AND THE OTHERS NOW ARE ACTUALLY BRILLIANT AS FAR AS BAND HARD WORKING PLANS, PROMOTION, IDEAS, ETHICS AND STANDARDS..IN ADDITION TO GIVING OUT GREAT MUSIC AND SHOWS. BARRY IS EXTREMELY TALENTED. I CANT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT EM. AS FOR A.T.P. I MET ERIK AND THE GUYS ONCE, SAW THEM ONCE, WE HUNG OUT AND I LIKED THEM ALOT. I LOOK FORWARD TO ERIK'S SOLO RECORD OUT ON SMALLSTONE NEXT YEAR, IT SHOULD BE SMOKING. YOU CAN SEE THAT ERIK AND THAT BAND ARE JUST REALLY HONEST, VERY HARD WORKING, GENUINE PEOPLE. SO MANY BANDS ARE JUST FULL OF JIVE, THE HONEST ONES STAND OUT LIKE DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH. I READ AND ENJOYED THE INTERVIEWS ON YOUR PAGE, I ALSO LIKED HELLSTOMPER, I MET ALAN KING A FEW TIMES, NICE LAID BACK GUY, CRAZY FRONTMAN ON STAGE. I DONT HAVE ANY HELLSTOMPER RECORDS, I'D LIKE TO HEAR THEM."

GD- You come from dixie, what are your links to the southern rock culture, and more specifically with the redneck/trailer park one, if are there any?
"MAN THAT IS A INTERESTING QUESTION. I'M FROM THE SOUTH, FROM NORTH CAROLINA, I DID LIVE IN A TRAILER WITH MY DAD WHEN I WAS LITTLE IN CHEROKEE,NC. BUT I HAVE LIVED VIRTUALLY ALL MY LIFE IN DIXIELAND, AND I LOVE IT. I'M NOT GONNA PRETEND LIKE I HAVENT AND I DON'T LOVE MY FAMILY, HERTIAGE AND SOUTHERN CULTURE..WHETHER IT'S 'COOL' OR NOT IN THE MAINSTREAM, NOBODY SHOULD EVER HAVE TO EVEN CONSIDER PRETENDING TO BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT THEY ARE. BE WHAT YOU ARE, AND MAKE THE WORLD RECOGNIZE IT. HOWEVER, I HAVE TRAVELLED THE WORLD (EUROPE, JAPAN, CANDA, FRANCE, ETC) AND LEARNED FROM ALL CULTURES, COUNTRIES AND READ A MILLION BOOKS..PEOPLE SHOULD READ OR WATCH TV OR WHATEVER, YOU CAN LEARN EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM BOOKS, MOVIES. I THINK YOU SHOULD HOLD TRUE TO WHAT YOU'RE ALL ABOUT, BUT ALSO REACH OUT AND LEARN FROM ALL THE WORLD HAS TO OFFER, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.BUT HAVE TO SAY I THINK ITS KINDA SAD AND REALLY A SHAME WHEN PEOPLE FROM WEALTHY OR MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES KIND OF FOSTER OR PROMOTE A WHITE TRASH IMAGE, ALOT OF BANDS DO THAT OUTSIDE OF THE SOUTH AND I THINK THAT'S MISINFORMED. IF THEY HAD EVER LIVED THAT LIFE OR WALKED IN THOSE SHOES THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING TO ESCAPE IT AND GET A BETTER LIFE. COMING FROM KIDS WHO HAVE NICE CARS, HOUSES,EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT..THEY NEVER MISSED A MEAL OR STRUGGLED TO MAKE ENDS MEET..I HATE TO SEE KIDS LIKE THAT THINK IT'S COOL TO ALL OF A SUDDEN PROCLAIM THEY'RE SOUTHERN WHITE TRASH, CAUSE IT'S COOL TO THEM OR WHATEVER, I JUST THINK ITS..WELL..KIND OF IGNORANT. NOBODY WHO'S LIVED A POOR LIFE, WORKED ALL WEEK LONG AND STILL WORRIED ABOUT BUYING FOOD EACH DAY OR MAINTAINING EVEN SMALL MONTHLY BILLS WOULD EVER TELL YA 'YEAH MAN, BE LIKE ME!' IF YOU EVER LIVED IT, YOU KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT IT. CAN YOU DIG THAT. I LIVED BOTH LIFESTYLES, HAD MONEY AND BEEN DIRT BROKE, AND I TELL YA, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO HAVE MONEY TO EAT! BEING WILD AND FREE AND STRONG AND BRAVE, THAT DOESN'T APPLY TO YOUR ECONOMIC SITUATION, BUT BEING "WHITE TRASH" IS ACTUALLY NONE OF THOSE THINGS. A MAN WITHOUT ANY HONOR IS NO MAN INDEED AND A TRUE SOUTHERNER IS FULL OF HONOR, PRIDE AND DIGINTY. LOOK MAN, I'M A WILD EYED SOUTHERN BOY- I LOVE TATTOOS, BIKES, HORROR MOVIES, KUNG FU, MUSIC AND MAGIC, I LIVE A LIFE ON THE EDGE OF SOCIETY. I ALWAYS HAVE. BUT NAH I'M NOT WHITE TRASH AND I'D BE INSULTED IF SOMEBODY CALLED ME THAT, LET'S PUT IT THIS WAY, THE RECORD AIN'T CALLED 'SOUTHERN GENTLEMEN' FOR NOTHIN! "

GD- Your music reminds me a lot of bands like Alabama Thunder Pussy, Suplecs or an amped up rockin' Lynyrd Skynyrd version, do you agree? What makes southern hard rock bands to follow those mainlines approaching to music?
"ATP RULE, I DIG THEM HEAVY DADDY. SUPLECS I HAVE NEVER HEARD BUT WOULD LIKE TO INDEED. I HAVE HEARD THEIR NAME BUT NO MUSIC YET. AS FOR THE SKYNYRD REFERENCE, THEYRE ONE THE ALL TIME BEST, I LISTEN TO THEM VIRTUALLY EVERY DAY, GREAT GREAT SERIES OF RECORDS. RONNIE VAN ZANT..WHAT CAN YOU SAY! HE WAS SUCH A MIGHTY INDIVIDUAL..GREAT LYRICIST, INSPIRING HARD WORKER, NICE CLEAN VOCALS. IT'S AMAZING HOW HE HARDLEY MOVED ON STAGE AND HIS PRESENCE WAS SO POWERFUL. HE DIDNT TRY AND JUMP AROUND LIKE MICK JAGGER, HE JUST HELD HIS GROUND. HE TOLD STORIES AND WAS SO LAID BACK, ALMOST NEVER DISPLAYING ANY ANGER OR LOSS OF CONTROL ONSTAGE OR ON RECORDS..HE SHOWCASED THAT KIND OF 'STRENGTH' THAT IS SO RARE, IT'S SO SOLID THAT IT COMES OFF AS BEING TOTALLY LAID BACK. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYONE LIKE THAT? STILL, SOLID, NEVER LOSING THEIR FOCUS. AMAZING. AND THE MUSICIANS IN THAT BAND RIPPED OUT SOME THE BEST GUITAR RIFFS AND LEADS OUT THERE. DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE ALLMANS- GOOD GOD, WHAT A MASSIVELY TALENTED GROUP. SO TO BE COMPARED TO THOSE CATS IS A COMPLIMENT. THANKS BIG BROTHER. BUT FOR REAL THOUGH, I THINK OUR BAND AND MOST OF US TODAY ARE ALSO INFLUENCED BY THE AC/DCS AND MOTORHEADS OF THE WORLD, SO WE MIGHT BE A LITTLE LESS DEVELOPED AND MORE RAW- BUT THAT'S WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE YOU KNOW. I CAN'T SEE DOING THE 20 MINUTE INSTRUMENTALS IN OUR BAND, I JUST WANNA ROCK SHORT, TIGHT ASS KICKING SONGS. BUT YEAH WITH A DEGREE OF CLASS AND SWAMP WATER SALT AND PEPPER, NOT JUST METAL OR PUNK. BUT I LOVE SPACE ROCK AND TRIPPY STUFF- SO YEAH WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LITTLE UFO RIDE EVERY NOW AND THEN. AS FOR WHAT MAKES THE BANDS FROM THE SOUTHERN STATES FOLLOW THOSE INFLUENCES, I THINK IT'S CAUSE OUR BLOOD IS FILLED WITH ELECTRIC BLUES LIGHTINING, BIKER ROCK DRIVE, OUTLAW COUNTRY INSPIRATION, ACID ROCK FLASHBACKS AND A SMALL PIECE OF PUNK'S FUCK YOU IDEOLOGY. I CANT SPEAK FOR THE OTHER BANDS, YOU'D HAVE TO ASK THEM, BUT WE ALL PROBABLY CAME FROM THE SAME BACKGROUNDS AND THEN CREATE MUSIC WITH SIMILAR APPROACHES BUT DIFFERENT COLORS AND DETAILS. OR MAYBE WE'RE ALL A BUNCH OF YAHOOS WHO MISS ALL THE TRENDS IN THE BIGGER CITIES THAT RULE THE MODERN MUSIC BUSINESS! WHO CARES! WE'RE TEAR ALL THOSE GUYS DOWN AND MAKE EM EAT SOME SOUTHERN FRIEND JAMS. DIG THIS TECHNO BOY! BUT YEAH THERE SEEMS TO BE A HARD ROCK, PUNK OR ACID ROCK REVIVAL AND I WELCOME IT, GOOD SONGS, GUITAR RIFFS, KICK ASS SINGERS..BRING IT ON! ANYTHING TO DELIVER ME FROM MODERN RADIO OR MTV."

GD- Any news or final words?
"YEAH WE HAVE OUR CD 'SOUTHERN GENTLEMEN' OUT NOW ON SMALLSTONE RECORDS, CHECK THE SMALLSTONE WEBSITE. ALSO WE HAVE A NEW EP OUT SOON CALLED 'DEALIN DECKS' WHICH IS FOUR NEW SONGS WE RECORDED AND RELEASED IN MEMORY OF OUR LATE DRUMMER, BOO, WHO SADLY WE LOST RECENTLY. WE'RE ALSO APPEARING ON THE 1970'S TRIBUTE CD ON SMALLSTONE, A SKYNYRD TRIBUTE CD ON UNDEROGMA/G2 AND A ZODIAC MINDWARP TRIBUTE ON DEVIL DOLL RECORDS. WE'RE ABOUT TO FILM OUR VIDEO FOR 'WHISKEY DEVIL' AND WE'RE GONNA TRY AND GET THAT ON THE INTERNET SOMEHOW MAYBE IN JANUARY.
I THINK THERE'S SOME NEW T-SHIRTS OUT SOON ON THE UNDERDOGMA SITE AND VINYL EPS FLOATING AROUND SOON TOO. THANKS FOR THE INTERVIEW AND HELLO TO ALL THE SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN ITALY. SHINE ON ELECTRIC LOVE FIRE AND MUSIC MAGIC MAYHEM- ROCK TIL DEATH!"