This article originally appeared on Boston Band Crush ). Masters of smack talk and brit-pop, The Luxury:
Are you excited to be participating in the 31st WBCN Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble?
Jason: Well, yeah, but it seems like half the competitors are our drinking buddies so it’s kind of weird. Our biggest fear is that we all wind up facing each other on the same preliminary night.
PEZ: Yeah. But what’s really cool is how many of our friends are in it, too. Dudes I’ve known for years, people I used to be in other bands with, even an old girlfriend.
Are you afraid of the Rumble curse?
Jason: No, because once I was *actually* cursed. Seriously, like
bone-through-nose/warpaint/headdress-wearing boogieman-style curse. I have no idea what that guy was doing in Vermont. Come to think of it, I may have just been at Bread and Puppet. I’m not a hippie.
PEZ: I personally don’t believe a Rumble win can be attributed to a band’s success OR failure. But I’m actually hanging out tonight with the dude who won it in 1987, so maybe I’ll get his take on it.
Do you plan on doing anything special or different for your set?
Jason: I plan on not fucking up all over the place.
PEZ: The last time either of us were in it, Jason & I both lost in the first round. So WINNING would be different.
How far do you think you’ll progress in the competition?
Jason: We’ll be wildcarded so hard that we’ll win the 2050 Rumble on the Moon.
PEZ: Depends what our night looks like, I guess. There are a handful of bands I definitely DON’T want to go up against.
What’s your bet on who will make it to the finals?
Jason: If I tell you, that will seriously piss off my bookie.
PEZ: Assuming KG gets healthy, I see no reason why the Celtics couldn’t take it again, this year.
Are there any bands you would have picked for the line up this year that didn’t get in?
Jason: Lots, but Midatlantic, The Everyday Visuals and the Brendan Boogie Band are probably at the top of the list.
PEZ: I was really surprised to not see MIDATLANTIC on the list. They’re like the only band we’re friends with who aren’t in it.
What band is your favorite past winner?
Jason: ‘Til Tuesday. Aimee, will you please return my calls? I just want to make you dinner. I cook well.
PEZ: THE GHOST OF TONY GOLD. Those guys were the shit.
What past competitor do you think was most robbed?
Jason: Fox Pass in 1976.
PEZ: I wasn’t present that night, but I have a really hard time believing REVERSE didn’t crush everybody in their path.
Any final words or smacktalk before the battle begins?
Jason: Yeah – to The Lights Out: If you kick our asses as hard as you say you’re going to, finishing your record in my studio is going to be REALLY AWKWARD.
PEZ: I guess nobody told THE MOTION SICK that acoustic guitars are for sissies and grandpas. And I’m not too worried about THE LIGHTS OUT, since at least 1 or 2 of them will end up falling off the stage, drunk. And THICK AS THIEVES are never gonna win, unless they all grow like 2 feet. And LOGAN 5 all dress like a bunch of fruits. And those broads in APPLE BETTY need to get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich.
Above photo by Paul Taverna