On any given Friday or Saturday, anyone can go out to a local venue and catch one of their favorite local acts. The common nomenclature calls this the “local music scene.” But underneath the local music scene is the local punk music scene which is generally an entirely different animal. While some members of the local punk scene chum around and speak well of those involved with more conventional acts, others shrug off the conventional music scene and march to the beat of their own drummer, their horizon pitched somewhere between self destruction, getting their music heard and making a little money.
Emerging from the punk music scene is the shambling death rock/horror punk outfit Mockingbird Lane. Fronted by the imposing yet abrasively affable Chirstophe and backed up by percussionist Blizzard, Mockingbird Lane is something of a punk Steely Dan. A concept band that has only
two members and a Rolodex of supporting players who join them on any given night, they have made great strides despite having only one recorded single and no drum kit (they borrow from other acts they share the bill with).
Loud recently sat down (actually leaned against Christophe’s car)
and discussed the band, its history, their sound, their connection to
Stephen King, recent charges of misogyny and why 99.9 percent of the
local music scene can kiss Christophe’s ass.
LOUD: So, how long has Mockingbird Lane been around?
CHRISTOPHE: Technically, Mockingbird Lane has been around since I was
15 years old. As soon as I was given a bass guitar, I was like, “Damn,
I’m gonna do this band.” It’s been around, in one
incarnation or another since then, but it has only been playing shows
for a year.
LOUD: Who’s who in the band?
CHRISTOPHE: I write everything except for the drums. He does all the
percussion.
LOUD: So you play drums?
BLIZZARD: I play drums.
CHRISTOPHE: He does some bass in the studio, as well.
BLIZZARD: Live, it’s just drums.
CHRISTOPHE: I’m the lead singer and everything else.
LOUD: So, on any give night, how many people do you have?
CHRISTOPHE: It could be up to…hasn’t been yet, but could
be up to six.
BLIZZARD: It could be more, though.
CHRISTOPHE: It could be.
BLIZZARD: With the horn section.
CHRISTOPHE: That’s more of one of the side projects. The horns
will be with Brother Voodoo.
LOUD: So are there spin-off groups from Mockingbird Lane?
CHRISTOPHE: Yes. There’s Christophe Solo Acoustic, there’s
XTOPH Electronic, Christophe and the Ghoul Fuckers, Brother Voodoo,
the Devil Dolls, Miles Quaid All-Stars. But Mockingbird Lane is the
main project.
LOUD: Describe your sound.
CHRISTOPHE: Death rock/horror punk. I’ve got a good mix of 80’s
death rock and a lot of horror punk, too. Check out the website (www.mockingbirdlane.bravepages.com).
That explains it. While you’re there, get on our forum. Nobody
gets on our forum. We need some people to get on there and talk some
trash. I’ve read your stuff and know you’re good at talking
trash.
LOUD: I try to steer away from that as much as possible.
CHRISTOPHE: It’s not what it looks like. By the way, I like the
horror film thing you did.
LOUD: Speaking of, how influenced are you by horror films?
CHRISTOPHE: Basically since I was born, I’ve been into nothing
except horror, comic books and, I guess when I was six or seven, I discovered
punk rock. My sister had tapes of me pretending I was a rock star, running
around, screaming at the top of my lungs, slamming into shit. I used
to want to be a Ramone.
LOUD: So how long have YOU been on the music scene?
CHRISTOPHE: Since I was 15 I’ve been in the Oklahoma music scene.
LOUD: What do you think about the Oklahoma music scene?
BLIZZARD: You want me to answer that?
CHRISTOPHE: We’ll both…
BLIZZARD: I wasn’t impressed when I lived here before.
CHRISTOPHE: I’ll let you go first.
BLIZZARD: I haven’t really heard a lot of bands in Oklahoma, to
be honest. The last time I heard any real local bands was when…
I don’t think the Flaming Lips had an album out on Warner’s.
Which is the one with “Jesus Shootin’ Heroin?”
LOUD: “Hear It Is.”
BLIZZARD: Back then. And then there was Conniption Fit, Social Vomit,
they were good.
LOUD: (Social Vomit) was your band?
BLIZZARD: Yeah! Umm, Billy Joe Winghead, they’re cool. I groove
on them. But I haven’t been listening to a lot of local acts lately.
The last time I listened to anything was…God…I haven’t
really. I mean, I know about all this music and I’m like “Ok,
cool. Sounds like the old shit that was here before. Now they have the
technology.”
LOUD: So you were gone once and now you’re back?
BLIZZARD: Yeah, I have some friends that are still here and they were
just like…
CHRISTOPHE: Don’t let him try and lie to you. He was on an absinthe
binge for five years and he was coming down around the time I picked
him out around Halloween.
you’re not working right now. They’re hiring where I got
to school.” So, I apparently hopped on a bus…
CHRISTOPHE: He doesn’t remember.
BLIZZARD: Well, I remember when I got off the bus because I got off
the bus and the frickin’ heat hit me. “God where the hell…?!?”
LOUD: So, how long have you been back?
BLIZZARD: Roughly, a little under three years, I think.
LOUD: But you were here before that?
BLIZZARD: Yeah, I went to high school here.
LOUD: Where?
BLIZZARD: Norman High.
CHRISTOPHE: You know, he’ll talk forever and not let you get back
to me. I mean, I don’t have an ego or anything but I’m important,
not him.
LOUD: Ok, then. Let’s get your take on the local music scene.
CHRISTOPHE: Well, I wouldn’t know the local music scene if it
wasn’t for her (points to friend Faithless). So blame everything
I say on her. She found me some party and drug me to it when I was 15.
Umm, let me see. I’m going to be nice tonight because I’m
in a good mood. So let’s just say, fuck 99.9 percent of this scene
because, one-half of them aren’t that good. I know that we haven’t
been good a lot of shows so that’s forgivable. But, you know,
the other thing is, I busted my ass since I was 15 to help out everybody
on the local scene is any way, shape or form that I can and I’ve
been dicked over constantly. And I’m fed up. I mean, the only
time I throw fuckin’ shows anymore like whenever I go pay out
my money for the (American) Legion Hall or something is because I’ve
got friends from out of state coming through. I used to do a lot of
bookings, it’s not worth it. Local scene-wise I do like Klipspringer.
They’re one of my favorite bands. John Thomas, I really like his
solo stuff. He’s not here anymore, he lives in L.A.
LOUD: He played here about a month ago.
CHRISTOPHE: He’s got some amazing stuff when he does his solo
acoustic. I love Billy Joe Winghead. Everyone else has either moved
away, broken up or pissed me off.
LOUD: What do they do?
CHRISTOPHE: We’re not going to say their names but people have
trashed or stolen equipment, trashed clubs. They threw my microphone
down on the ground.
LOUD: Why?
CHRISTOPHE: Because they’re dumb asses.
LOUD: Recently, a local publication labeled your lyrics as misogynistic.
CHRISTOPHE: What I found amusing about them saying that I was a misogynist
was the songs we played. “Taken Under,” that’s about
a girl I was in love with who apparently wasn’t as in love with
me as she once said. So, you know, there’s nothing misogynist
about that. Then we did “Sea of Heartbreak,” that old Don
Gibson country song. We did the Cure’s “Love Song.”
Then, the only other one that could have been misconstrued as misogynistic
is a song called “Dead Girls Don’t Say No.” It’s
a twisted love song if you listened to the lyrics.
LOUD: What horror films are you into?
CHRISTOPHE: It changes every day. Whatever I’m into for that day.
It depends on my mood. But a majority of George Romero and anything
Sam Rami. And before I forget, we need to talk about the movies.
BLIZZARD: And the vinyl.
CHRISTOPHE: We’re going to call it “Six Hits From Hell.”
We’re going to record it live and do our harder, faster ones we
play live. Make it on vinyl and put out so many, maybe do some limited
ones on different colored vinyl. Hopefully, we’ll be able to start
that soon. Depends on the funds. Movie-wise, a local movie director,
Shawn Lealos, signed a contract with Stephen King, who’s doing
a short called “I Know What You Need,” which is based on
a short story by the same name out of the “Night Shift”
collection. We recorded “Taken Under” to go onto that film.
And he also has another one called “The Devil’s Playground”
and I played the demon in that. The website is www.starvingdogs.net.
LOUD: So what do you do for a day gig?
CHRISTOPHE: I sleep and I watch horror movies.
BLIZZARD: I work for a Christian company. I don’t even know what
the company’s name is. I just go through folders and files for
them and tell them what’s in it.
CHRISTOPHE: I should probably get a job.
LOUD: You mentioned earlier that you do bookings?
CHRISTOPHE: Yeah. I had this thing called Zombierot Entertainment. It
was your local basic punk rock label type thing. Sometimes I release
some stuff, sometimes I do bookings. I do all the Oklahoma booking for
the Banned from New York City. They’re awesome guys.
LOUD: So what’s up for the future?
CHRISTOPHE: First, we’re gonna get this one part recorded and
then we’re probably going to re-record “Taken Under”
for the movie. We’re also going to record our cover of Joy Division’s
“Transmissions.” And then we’re going to save up money
and get out of Oklahoma. Not that we have anything against Oklahoma
but our kind of music isn’t going to go anywhere in this state.
to leave the state, everyone is going to love us, and we’re going
to come back.
CHRISTOPHE: Personally, I love Oklahoma and want to stay here but the
people are fucks.
LOUD: Last question, where did you get your name?
CHRISTOPHE: My mother.
LOUD: No, the band’s name.
CHRISTOPHE: Where do you think?
LOUD: I don’t know
CHRISTOPHE: The Munsters.
We need to still do the "Six Hits From Hell".
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