Interview with Johnny Toxik of Gutter Demons
April 16, 2014 (reposted from February)
As it happens with a great deal of amazing Psychobilly bands, unless you were there during their heyday, at their shows, or throwing back beers with them after a set, many of them unfortunately go without the due attention they deserve and finding them is often a thing of good fortune. An enormous catalogue of music has gone unnoticed by the world-at- large, and to many in the know this is a good thing. But to those who don’t already have an enormous collection of albums and venue ticket stubs to show their support, finding these groups can be challenging. However, when fortune smiles on you and you are lucky enough to find one of these incredible bands, you’ll find yourself enthralled with their work and a little bit gutted that you hadn’t had the opportunity to see them before they went the way of so many others.
It was a cold rainy day in 2005 when I first heard of the Gutter Demons. My interest was piqued instantly by their otherworldy appearance, with their churlish grinning demon faces, adorned with bright blue hair and bony horns protruding – their drummer R-1, in complete putrified undead makeup. I was hooked by their energy and the mature, proper way their albums played out almost cinematically. Unfortunately, lady luck wasn’t on my side, and I never had the chance to see them live before they disbanded. My only way of enjoying them was to dig them up and resurrect their sound from time to time.
Flash forward nine years, with the ability to contact practically anyone in the world over the internet, I found myself joking on pictures and talking about music with punks and psychos all over the world. One of these charming fellows just happened to be none other than the singer/guitar player from that group of demons I had come to enjoy so long ago, but had never had the chance to take in one of their shows.
I took the opportunity to ask Johnny Toxik of the Gutter Demons about some of the group’s past and about any plans for the future.
It was a cold rainy day in 2005 when I first heard of the Gutter Demons. My interest was piqued instantly by their otherworldy appearance, with their churlish grinning demon faces, adorned with bright blue hair and bony horns protruding – their drummer R-1, in complete putrified undead makeup. I was hooked by their energy and the mature, proper way their albums played out almost cinematically. Unfortunately, lady luck wasn’t on my side, and I never had the chance to see them live before they disbanded. My only way of enjoying them was to dig them up and resurrect their sound from time to time.
Flash forward nine years, with the ability to contact practically anyone in the world over the internet, I found myself joking on pictures and talking about music with punks and psychos all over the world. One of these charming fellows just happened to be none other than the singer/guitar player from that group of demons I had come to enjoy so long ago, but had never had the chance to take in one of their shows.
I took the opportunity to ask Johnny Toxik of the Gutter Demons about some of the group’s past and about any plans for the future.
Tell us how the Gutter Demons got started.
It was somewhere around 2001. I met Flipper (upright bass player) at a local dive where all the rockers hung out on Fridays. I was a fresh cut back then so he came up to me and we started to chat about music and bands and stuff. We played together for a while in a band called Rosekill with (original GD Drummer) Pat. Then we slowly started to work on some ideas I had for songs after band practice. Songs that you can hear on « Enter the Demons ». We played our first show with NYC Speed Crazy, we were advertised as « MTL new Psychobilly band ». I called ourselves the « Triple D’s » since we didn’t have a Band name back then. Our second show was with The Hangmen from England, a few months later we released our first album, on Halloween nite, to a sold out venue. Things happened so fast (laugh).
When forming the group, who were some of your musical inspirations?
I was into rockabilly and punk for the most part. Chuck Berry is my all time favorite!!! Then I told myself, It would be awesome to mix the both together!!! Then one day, wasting my time at my local record shop, I found this record with the ugliest artwork I’ve ever seen. I noticed that the bass player on the drawing had a pompadour and the drummer was a Werewolf (laugh). That’s when I discovered the M3t3ors!
They were my first contact with Psychobilly (and pure Psychobilly…). I was in shock. That shit already existed!!! It was the best of both worlds I knew back then… Felt like home!
Who were some of the bands you shared the stage with?
Wow, So many… We had our first tour with the Vibrators. We played with the Misfits (or whatever’s left of it) 3 times, UK Subs, The Reverend Horton Heat, Nashville Pussy, Leftover Crack, Rancid, Red Alert, Deadbolt, Danko Jones, Speed Crazy, The Memphis Morticians (One of my fave), Photon Torpedo, the Cenobites, Barnyard Ballers, Evil Devil, Reverend Beat-Man of the Monsters and sooo on… By the way, The Brains and the Creepshow used to open for us (laugh).
It was somewhere around 2001. I met Flipper (upright bass player) at a local dive where all the rockers hung out on Fridays. I was a fresh cut back then so he came up to me and we started to chat about music and bands and stuff. We played together for a while in a band called Rosekill with (original GD Drummer) Pat. Then we slowly started to work on some ideas I had for songs after band practice. Songs that you can hear on « Enter the Demons ». We played our first show with NYC Speed Crazy, we were advertised as « MTL new Psychobilly band ». I called ourselves the « Triple D’s » since we didn’t have a Band name back then. Our second show was with The Hangmen from England, a few months later we released our first album, on Halloween nite, to a sold out venue. Things happened so fast (laugh).
When forming the group, who were some of your musical inspirations?
I was into rockabilly and punk for the most part. Chuck Berry is my all time favorite!!! Then I told myself, It would be awesome to mix the both together!!! Then one day, wasting my time at my local record shop, I found this record with the ugliest artwork I’ve ever seen. I noticed that the bass player on the drawing had a pompadour and the drummer was a Werewolf (laugh). That’s when I discovered the M3t3ors!
They were my first contact with Psychobilly (and pure Psychobilly…). I was in shock. That shit already existed!!! It was the best of both worlds I knew back then… Felt like home!
Who were some of the bands you shared the stage with?
Wow, So many… We had our first tour with the Vibrators. We played with the Misfits (or whatever’s left of it) 3 times, UK Subs, The Reverend Horton Heat, Nashville Pussy, Leftover Crack, Rancid, Red Alert, Deadbolt, Danko Jones, Speed Crazy, The Memphis Morticians (One of my fave), Photon Torpedo, the Cenobites, Barnyard Ballers, Evil Devil, Reverend Beat-Man of the Monsters and sooo on… By the way, The Brains and the Creepshow used to open for us (laugh).
Did you have a favorite venue?
No… Not at all… Venues don’t mean much to us… It’s the people in it you know. We played large venues and outdoor festivals with no souls to take, we would play a bar in the middle of saskatchewan on a Tuesday nite in front of 10 people and had an amazing time (thanx to the local Angels). The lyrics from the song « Room 209 » came from our friend Damien in Winnipeg who was a Bartender at the venue where we played. We slept in a haunted venue in Sudbury more than once. We almost beat the shit out of fucking Douchebags who threw ketchup and mustard on our van, we played small Community halls in the north of Quebec with tons of kids on the edge of throwing the whole P.A. on the floor at any minute and we were in a huge bar brawl in Calgary’s Distillery (and so on...) A Gutter Demons show has never been a quiet ride.
After releasing three full-length albums, an EP, a split album, two videos for the Room 209 album, and seven years touring North America and Europe, it seemed that the Gutter Demons were a solid bet. What lead to the group disbanding?
I have to confess it was all my fault. I don’t wanna go too much into details but I had to stop. My life was a complete mess back then and I had to put some things in perspective. But it’s all better now, I’ve gained new strengths.
Last year saw the formation of your new side project, East Side Spades. How much different has this experience been for you than when you were playing with the Gutter Demons?
It’s a fun ride you know. I play with two amazing musicians (actual GD Drummer, R-1) and we do whatever the fuck we want… No matter our haircuts!!! And I play bass, which is a lil’ different to me. Less strings!!!
Have you pulled out any of your old songs to play on stage?
No, not at all… No way. Not my thing. We’ve plenty of our own.
No… Not at all… Venues don’t mean much to us… It’s the people in it you know. We played large venues and outdoor festivals with no souls to take, we would play a bar in the middle of saskatchewan on a Tuesday nite in front of 10 people and had an amazing time (thanx to the local Angels). The lyrics from the song « Room 209 » came from our friend Damien in Winnipeg who was a Bartender at the venue where we played. We slept in a haunted venue in Sudbury more than once. We almost beat the shit out of fucking Douchebags who threw ketchup and mustard on our van, we played small Community halls in the north of Quebec with tons of kids on the edge of throwing the whole P.A. on the floor at any minute and we were in a huge bar brawl in Calgary’s Distillery (and so on...) A Gutter Demons show has never been a quiet ride.
After releasing three full-length albums, an EP, a split album, two videos for the Room 209 album, and seven years touring North America and Europe, it seemed that the Gutter Demons were a solid bet. What lead to the group disbanding?
I have to confess it was all my fault. I don’t wanna go too much into details but I had to stop. My life was a complete mess back then and I had to put some things in perspective. But it’s all better now, I’ve gained new strengths.
Last year saw the formation of your new side project, East Side Spades. How much different has this experience been for you than when you were playing with the Gutter Demons?
It’s a fun ride you know. I play with two amazing musicians (actual GD Drummer, R-1) and we do whatever the fuck we want… No matter our haircuts!!! And I play bass, which is a lil’ different to me. Less strings!!!
Have you pulled out any of your old songs to play on stage?
No, not at all… No way. Not my thing. We’ve plenty of our own.
A lot of people took seeing photos of you playing in a studio as a sign of a Gutter Demons reunion. Are there any seeds of truth in those rumblings, or merely hopeful speculation?
Carefull what you wish for… But yeah seriously, The Gutter Demons are back!!! We have a few surprises coming up for you guys. You’ll be amazed!!! Follow the band on Facebook for more updates. https://www.facebook.com/thegutterdemons
Can we expect an album from East Side Spades sometime soon?
We worked a few songs in studio, but right now we don’t have any plans for now. As I said before, It’s all about having fun, playing loud and watching some bouncing bottoms. We’ll see if we can actually stop drinking too much and put money aside for an album (laugh).
Do you have any plans to bring the East Side Spades out on tour?
Our 3 egos are Way to big for that!!! And we can’t spend to much time together in the same place at the same time without somebody losing his dignity (laugh).
With your hometown of Montreal also being the birthplace of The Brains, and Toronto only five hours away being home to acts like Evil Elvis, The Matadors and The Creepshow, Psychobilly really seems to have a solid foundation in your neck of the woods. Tell us a little about the Montreal scene.
It’s a small but exciting scene. We’re all True Vikings up here and we’re all very good friends. We all play shows together and we support and enjoy each other’s company . Living in such a big country with lot of driving between towns and cities kinda makes it hard, but it’s a very tight scene.
Carefull what you wish for… But yeah seriously, The Gutter Demons are back!!! We have a few surprises coming up for you guys. You’ll be amazed!!! Follow the band on Facebook for more updates. https://www.facebook.com/thegutterdemons
Can we expect an album from East Side Spades sometime soon?
We worked a few songs in studio, but right now we don’t have any plans for now. As I said before, It’s all about having fun, playing loud and watching some bouncing bottoms. We’ll see if we can actually stop drinking too much and put money aside for an album (laugh).
Do you have any plans to bring the East Side Spades out on tour?
Our 3 egos are Way to big for that!!! And we can’t spend to much time together in the same place at the same time without somebody losing his dignity (laugh).
With your hometown of Montreal also being the birthplace of The Brains, and Toronto only five hours away being home to acts like Evil Elvis, The Matadors and The Creepshow, Psychobilly really seems to have a solid foundation in your neck of the woods. Tell us a little about the Montreal scene.
It’s a small but exciting scene. We’re all True Vikings up here and we’re all very good friends. We all play shows together and we support and enjoy each other’s company . Living in such a big country with lot of driving between towns and cities kinda makes it hard, but it’s a very tight scene.
A fair amount of the Gutter Demons' songs used dialogue sampling from films. Can you name a few of those samples for us?
« Psychorama » has a sampling from the movie « Pieces » which for me has the best opening scene ever! We also used « Dracula’s Daughter » on the last song of « Room 209 ». My favorite movies are not well known. I’m not an Horror snob. Of course I enjoy Fulci or Dargento. But I also really enjoy Troma Films, Exploitation, Kung fu, Grinhouse, sci-fi and 3rd grade psychotronic. I’m amazed by the dedication and the love people can put in a project, without any budgets , movie stars… Or talent!!! (laugh)
Being that this is a horror website, I have to ask, are you a horror film fan? Any favorites?
Tuff one… The previous question sums it up a little bit… Pretty much every Universal classics. The original Carrie, The Shinning, Christine, 80’s Slashers (Friday the 13th, Halloween), Romero’s saga « of the dead », Hitchcock movies, especially « Psycho, the Birds and Vertigo ». Anything that Tim Burton puts out is an instant like, I Loved Sweeney Todd!!!! Most recently I really liked Christopher Nolan’s adaption of the Batman.
Are there any other projects we should look out for?
The LabRatz. Another Psychobilly Project that I’m part of. I play the guitar.
https://www.facebook.com/psycholabratz
« Psychorama » has a sampling from the movie « Pieces » which for me has the best opening scene ever! We also used « Dracula’s Daughter » on the last song of « Room 209 ». My favorite movies are not well known. I’m not an Horror snob. Of course I enjoy Fulci or Dargento. But I also really enjoy Troma Films, Exploitation, Kung fu, Grinhouse, sci-fi and 3rd grade psychotronic. I’m amazed by the dedication and the love people can put in a project, without any budgets , movie stars… Or talent!!! (laugh)
Being that this is a horror website, I have to ask, are you a horror film fan? Any favorites?
Tuff one… The previous question sums it up a little bit… Pretty much every Universal classics. The original Carrie, The Shinning, Christine, 80’s Slashers (Friday the 13th, Halloween), Romero’s saga « of the dead », Hitchcock movies, especially « Psycho, the Birds and Vertigo ». Anything that Tim Burton puts out is an instant like, I Loved Sweeney Todd!!!! Most recently I really liked Christopher Nolan’s adaption of the Batman.
Are there any other projects we should look out for?
The LabRatz. Another Psychobilly Project that I’m part of. I play the guitar.
https://www.facebook.com/psycholabratz
My last question is a bit on the serious side, but it's one that I feel deserves a bit of attention. Are you aware of the Best Gore/Mark Marek trial in which the Edmonton police arrested Bestgore.com webmaster Mark Marek on charges of corrupting public morals by hosting a video on his website which allegedly showed an actual murder which was still an open investigation? The Canadian court is alleging that he should be held accountable and he is facing a jail sentence for the action.
That being said, there is a great deal of room for argument between what is art and what is gruesome obsession. Where the line is drawn between personal expression (beit fascination with the macabre and grotesque - whether it is real or an artistic portrayal) and gross obsenity is a matter of one's own preferences. In our world, I think it can be both.
Some are asserting that the underlying point of all of this is to put the freedom of expression on trial in Canada, and that widespread censorship would soon follow. As a Canadian citizen who works in the artistic medium of music, are you concerned about any implications that the outcome of this trial may have on your freedom of artistic expression?
We had a similar case in the province of Quebec. Our guy was caught by Interpol!!! His name is Remy Couture and he was facing criminal charges for a « More than realistic » website he had (a story about a serial Killer making a web journal about his killings… Marvellous!). He’s an amazing Make-up artist and his website was made to promote his work, you know, to get contracts from big Hollywood productions (a lot of movies are shot in Montreal). It is a very particular situation since it’s happening in 2 different provinces at the same time. It’s scary isn’t it? As a matter of fact, I’ve always been concerned. Seriously, I write songs about killing people!!! I mean, I chose a guitar instead of a rifle and that’s how I express myself. If I had time money and if I knew people knowing about this particular craft, I’d make tons of short movies of discussable tastes (laugh). Art always been and always will be a reflection of its time and place. Society will always be shocked by it… True creators are ahead of their time. Nobody likes the truth right? We live in a world where you can see more on the 6 o’clock news than in an actual horror movie. Since the alternative medias are gaining on the traditional ones (TV, Radio), they really work hard to show us « the news », but that is supposed to be ok cause it’s TV you know? I grew up with all the worst of what the 80’s had to offer and I was lucky enough to have parents who would spend time with me, watch and listen to what I was listening to and tell me « This is crap… That’s not how life works or how you solve problems with others ». We don’t need laws enforcement, we need to understand and see what’s genuine and what is fake. Unfortunately, I’m not the optimistic type…
That being said, there is a great deal of room for argument between what is art and what is gruesome obsession. Where the line is drawn between personal expression (beit fascination with the macabre and grotesque - whether it is real or an artistic portrayal) and gross obsenity is a matter of one's own preferences. In our world, I think it can be both.
Some are asserting that the underlying point of all of this is to put the freedom of expression on trial in Canada, and that widespread censorship would soon follow. As a Canadian citizen who works in the artistic medium of music, are you concerned about any implications that the outcome of this trial may have on your freedom of artistic expression?
We had a similar case in the province of Quebec. Our guy was caught by Interpol!!! His name is Remy Couture and he was facing criminal charges for a « More than realistic » website he had (a story about a serial Killer making a web journal about his killings… Marvellous!). He’s an amazing Make-up artist and his website was made to promote his work, you know, to get contracts from big Hollywood productions (a lot of movies are shot in Montreal). It is a very particular situation since it’s happening in 2 different provinces at the same time. It’s scary isn’t it? As a matter of fact, I’ve always been concerned. Seriously, I write songs about killing people!!! I mean, I chose a guitar instead of a rifle and that’s how I express myself. If I had time money and if I knew people knowing about this particular craft, I’d make tons of short movies of discussable tastes (laugh). Art always been and always will be a reflection of its time and place. Society will always be shocked by it… True creators are ahead of their time. Nobody likes the truth right? We live in a world where you can see more on the 6 o’clock news than in an actual horror movie. Since the alternative medias are gaining on the traditional ones (TV, Radio), they really work hard to show us « the news », but that is supposed to be ok cause it’s TV you know? I grew up with all the worst of what the 80’s had to offer and I was lucky enough to have parents who would spend time with me, watch and listen to what I was listening to and tell me « This is crap… That’s not how life works or how you solve problems with others ». We don’t need laws enforcement, we need to understand and see what’s genuine and what is fake. Unfortunately, I’m not the optimistic type…