I don't have an iPod. I have about 4,000 tapes, all of them preserved
W (Nando Machado): Hi Pepper, how are you? Can you hear me?
Pepper Keenan: Yes, I'm listening, where are you?
W (NM): I'm in São Paulo, where are you now?
PK: I'm in my garage in New Orleans.
W (NM): New Orleans? Okay. First of all, let me introduce ourselves. We're a podcast called Wikimetal, the number one Heavy Metal and Hard Rock podcast in Brazil. So thank you for your time, thank you in advance.
PK: Great, thank you.
W (NM): Just to start, you still play for Corrosion of Conformity. I was thinking, because the other day I spoke with Dan Lilker from Nuclear Assault and we talked about the 80s; they were saying that they were probably the first Heavy Metal band to combine Punk and Hardcore influences with Heavy Metal. But he said that at that time there were other Hardcore bands that did the opposite, that started as Hardcore bands, but that began to mix in Heavy Metal influences, what do you think about that?
PK: Well, COC was a hardcore band that started incorporating metal elements, that's how it happened. COC's first album was totally and brutally hardcore. Basically, that's how things were: back then, the better you played guitar, the more metal you became, that's more or less how things were.
W (NM): And your first contract, can you tell us a little about that story?
PK: Back then, Phil and I… Phil was in Pantera and I was in COC, and we were doing really well, Phil was doing really well, and the other guys lived in New Orleans. We came home and started a band called Down. So, I made the tomato logo on a Xerox machine, we made sheets with spray paint, we were serious, and we started making three-song demos because back then we traded cassette tapes on the road with other bands, always, that's all we did. So we made a tape with three songs and called the band Down, and I put a little Jesus face on it, etc. Then I was touring one day and I played with some young guys and I said, “Man, we heard this band Down and…”, “I want to see.” So I gave him a copy, knowing they were going to trade it, and we wanted to see how far it would go. Then, one time I was in Sweden and a guy came up with a tape and asked me if I'd heard of a band called Down. So she toured all over Europe in the underground, so nobody knew it was us. So we kept making demos and finally did a show once here in New Orleans and someone filmed it and it got to the record label, it got to Warner Brothers and they found out it was people they already knew. So they discovered us and that was it, we got caught.
W (NM): That was a very good strategy and a very interesting story, thank you.
PK: Phil and I were basically testing to see if, in the early 90s, the 'underground' still existed. We were curious about tape swapping and that sort of thing and wanted to know how far people would go and how much they were searching for the music. Phil and I were excited to find new bands and cool things from all over the world. It was great to know that the 'underground' still exists, we were excited about that and we continued from there.
W (NM): That's great. How would you do it if it were today with the Internet, what do you think is the main difference between them?
PK: Screw you, man, screw the Internet!
W (NM): Do you miss those times, those tape days?
PK: I love it. Man, if you saw my garage, I have about 4,000 tapes, all of them preserved.
W (NM): So you don't have an iPod?
PK: No, no. I think maybe I should have one.
W (NM): Do you still listen to tapes?
PK: I have some demo tapes from the '80s that would blow your mind. Killer bands that never signed a record deal.
W (NM): I believe in you, man, I believe in you.
PK: I still listen to them, man. A band I have, "Chaos Wars," they were amazing. An '80s thrash band that made killer music. They never made it big, but I have their tapes in my garage.
W (NM): Would you choose a song that makes you completely lose your mind when you hear it on the radio or anywhere else?
PK: Yes, Chemical Warfare.
W (NM): Slayer! So let's listen to this one now on our show, thank you.
Phil doesn't take things lightly. He'll stop the show halfway through if the audience isn't going crazy
W (NM): And your café or bar in New Orleans? What kind of music do they play there, at Le Bon Temps Roule?
PK: Le Bon Temps Roule.
W (NM): Yes, French. My French isn't very good, sorry.
PK: It's a kind of Cajun French for "let the good times roll".
W (NM): Yes, I understand, but my French pronunciation isn't the best.
PK: Mine isn't either. It's a bar I used to go to as a kid, and once I made some money, the old owner wanted to sell it, and I was the only guy who went there and had enough money to buy it, so I bought it and kept it as it was. It's basically a New Orleans music bar for New Orleans musicians to practice in. I have some black bands, African horn players who play there. I don't charge an entrance fee, it's always free. We have young musicians who are amazing. It's not a heavy metal bar at all.
W (NM): Well, that sounds good enough to me. You could invite our listeners to visit the bar and maybe do some sightseeing in New Orleans.
PK: If you're from Brazil and want to see the real New Orleans, definitely come to Le Bon Temps Roule.
W (NM): Can you choose another song for our listeners now? Maybe something from Down that you're very proud of.
PK: Hm, let's see, Down... damn.
W (NM): We gotta play Down, man.
PK: “Beautifully Depressed,” that one’s really good, and also “There’s Something On My Side.”
W (NM) : Tell us a little about your relationship with James Hetfield. Everyone knows you were in their documentary, right?
PK: Yes, we became good friends out of mutual respect. We really loved the album Deliverance, we became friends because of it, and we stayed very close friends for a long time. I traveled the world with this guy, we had a lot of fun. We're still close. He's a wonderful person, he transformed his life, he's completely sober now, which is fantastic. He's one of those people who had to be. In his job, he got drunk and messed up all over the globe, and he was tired of it. So we're still close, but not like we used to be, because I still drink a little. People in AA end up leaving old friends behind, but we still talk at birthdays and things like that. We're not hanging out at the bar like in the old days. He's a wonderful person and has done a lot for me, and I'm grateful. We're still good friends and hard rock fanatics.
W (NM): What are your expectations for the shows in Brazil? Is this your first time in Brazil or have you been here before?
PK: This is my first time in Brazil, I've never been there. I always wanted to go, even when I wasn't in a band. If you saw my house now, it would look like you were in Brazil.
W (NM): Ok.
PK: The attitude I imagine exists in Brazil is quite similar to the one I had when I grew up in New Orleans. In terms of the United States, there's probably nothing closer to Brazil than New Orleans.
W (NM): Yes, I believe in you, man.
PK: I can't wait to see if this is true. And to jam in Brazil and play music there, having been a 15-year-old kid who liked Punk Rock and played in the garage, is really something important. So I'm quite excited about that too. And I guarantee you that we'll expect a lot from the audience, because Down's songs are very loud and heavy and Phil doesn't take anything lightly. He's crazier than he's ever been, he'll stop the show halfway through if the audience isn't going wild.
W (NM): So just to wrap things up, man. First of all, thank you for your time, we're looking forward to seeing you in November. Just leave a message for all your Brazilian fans and invite them all to SWU.
PK: Everyone in Brazil, you all need to go to the Down show, you won't be disappointed, and we have a lot of respect for everyone there. We can't wait to jam, and you better respond accordingly, otherwise we're leaving.
W (NM): That was excellent, it was great talking to you.
PK: Okay, you're welcome, see you later in São Paulo.
W (NM): Thanks, guys.
PK: Bye, bye.
