The Locust provided the Vista with its second searing dosage of eccentric rock'n'roll grind. Again and again, they slapped the crowd in the face with each fleeting song. The energy from the stage was consumed by the tornado of onlookers as bodies thrashed together. By the end of their set, the audience was screaming "more" along with the occasional "Fuck you!" Laughter followed as JP, the Locust's bassist/singer hollared "We already played that one!" back at the writhing mess. "Go back to LA" was issued next which was followed by laughter from this four-piece band hailing from San Diego. Joey on keyboards, Bobby on guitar/vocals, and Gabe on drums complete the band. I sat down with three of them when they were in a more mellow state...and this is what was said......

Michelle: So where's your drummer right now?
Bobby: He might be puking somewhere.
JP: Yeah, he threw up last night when we played in Bakersfield.
Michelle: Was he sick?
JP: Yeah, he was just playing, and he threw up.
Michelle: Oh that sucks for the clean-up crew.
JP: Well, the band that was before us had wrestling. So they were all bleeding and shit. So I don't think the vomit was very much of a problem.
Bobby: The place was actually a boxing ring, and we played within it. I'm sure there is still some dried up puke for the people who went in to box the next day.. (laughter)
Michelle: What other kind of random places have you guys played?
Bobby: A movie theatre.
JP: Yeah, we played there before a movie that we were in. That was kind of weird.
Bobby: A backyard wrestling art opening.
JP: Yeah, you know that backyard wrestling shit where those people just mess each other up? Well, we played at an art gallery that was an opening for a photo showcase for them. Oh, and we've played in my living room.
Michelle: Living room shows are always nice. So you mentioned that you were in a movie earlier, what film was that?
JP: Cecil B Demented that John Waters film.
Joey: Yeah, we're on the soundtrack.
Michelle: Yeah, the film was a little predictable where you knew exactly where it was going but it was an awesome flick.
JP: Yeah, I thought it was cool.
Michelle: So where's one place that we could typically find each of you?
JP: Pokey's. It's a Mexican restaurant in San Diego. You can always find us there.
Michelle: Day and night.
JP: It's the staple of our life.
Michelle: How long has the band actually been together and all of that brief history?
JP: About five years. The line-up hasn't always been the same.
Joey: Gabe and I joined the band probably about four years ago. It's changed since then, we had a different drummer, but he quit...and then Gabe came in..
JP: (sees Gabe) Hey Gabe! Do you wanna talk?
Gabe: About what?
JP: I don't know, whatever we're talking about... (laughs)
Gabe: I'm not in the band. I'm just filling in.
JP: We just brought him along to pick up on girls.... and boys...
Michelle: (laughs) So over the five years even though the line-up has changed, what do you think has been the glue that holds the band together?
Joey: A solid sense of humor. I think everyone in the band has a pretty good sense of humor which I think is important.

Michelle: Well you have to when you're dealing with audiences.
JP: Especially when you have a bunch of assholes watching your band every night. You have to battle them in some sense and not take it personally.
Michelle: Has the feedback changed over the years?
JP: I don't think we get beat up as much as we used to but I think that it's changed because there are a lot more younger kids involved in punk. At least in southern California there seems to be a lot more involved. They are really supportive of what we're doing. I think they can maybe identify more with the music. It's cool. We get a lot more support in that sense.
Michelle: Do you fit in pretty well with what's going on musically down in San Diego?
Joey: It's pretty eclectic. It's not like there are a lot of bands that sound like the Locust. It's all across the board. I think the bands fit in together pretty well by just playing on the same bill. They play together but may sound completely different. I don't think there is really a common thread that you can really identify with San Diego.
Michelle: What was kind of the band that turned you on to music?
JP: Sex Pistols were the band that got me into music when I was younger.
Bobby: Devo, stuff like that.
Michelle: Would you say when you're on stage that you're entire exterior changes?
JP: Yeah, I think so because you get adrenaline and shit like that. When we're on stage, I don't think we're the same rational people that we are when we're off the stage. I think that's because we're up there screaming and playing fast, weird music. You kind of change into something else.
Joey: Music is very hypnotic. It puts me into a little trance sometimes.
JP: I totally zone out. I only focus on specifics. There's a lot of things I don't see happening and stuff because we're all really concentrating on the music.
Michelle: What's kind of parading through your mind?
Bobby: Tons of dope-a-mania.
JP: You name it, it's gone through my mind.
Michelle: How was your experience the last time you came through the Vista with Arab On Radar?
JP: It was pretty cool. Bob was really nice too us.
Michelle: Yeah, well you guys came back.
JP: Yeah. I mean it's great to play in San Francisco and Seattle and stuff. But it's really cool to play in smaller areas too. I don't think a lot of bands come to smaller places. People seem more appreciative of music, and you get to meet people. In a big city it's always really impersonal, here its a little more personal for us.
Michelle: So you guys are on tour?
JP: Yeah, it's a west coast tour.
Joey: Eugene is up next.
Michelle: Someone asked me today if Eugene was in California.
Joey: (laughs) Was it a Californian?
Michelle: No, it was someone from Florida. Whatever you would call that.
Joey: A Floridian. You know what they call people from Los Angeles? Los Angelinos.
(At this point, someone busts in to say, "My buddy told me to come to the show tonight and said, 'You won't be disappointed.' So I came here tonight, just based on his words, and I heard the first two bands and I was like, 'Hmmmm.' And then you guys came on, and I was like, 'Yeahhh! That's what I'm talking about!' I don't know who your drummer is but 'Yeah!' I play drums in a death metal band here and I was all about early grindcore bands. I'm all about it. I was so glad I came out.)
JP: Thanks man, thanks a lot.
Michelle: Well, on that note, what have been some things that people have said to you after shows?
JP: Oh shit. Last time we played here somone actually beat me up.
Michelle: Yeah, I remember that. What exactly happened with that? It's strange because the guy that started that actually got a ride home with the friend I was with. So I heard bits and pieces of it.
JP: He was supposed to go get his "gat" so he could shoot us "faggots." It started because he was picking on some guy and afterwards I was like, "Hey did you kick the guys' ass? haha." Just joking around, and he started punching me in the stomach and shit. I was actually carrying a box of records at the time so I wasn't even trying to fight him. The next thing I know he was punching me in the gut, but our friends Arab On Radar kind of trashed him. So it was cool.
Michelle: Yeah, after that whole incident it spawned into another dramatic mess because he was sitting in the front seat of the car because my friend had offered to give him a ride home. There was another girl in the car who was pissed off at him for punching you and she had a tazer and was threatening to taze him. He ended up breaking down into tears and saying that he didn't want to be told he was afraid of "faggots."
JP: I think as a band if people start saying faggot we don't really react lightly to that. Not that we're afraid of being called that but the word is pretty oppressive, and we're not down to have people throw that shit around. We're definitely a pro-homesexual band and if the guys' going to be a fuckin' idiot and use that kind of language, well then obviously he got what he deserved. To a degree.
Michelle: I didn't think he needed to be threatened to be tazed necessarily, but he needed something...
JP: Yeah, but he didn't need to throw punches at me either, you know.
Michelle: Totally, it was this ridiculous situation that kind of spawned into this entire wreckless thing.
JP: I think another good reaction we got was when we played in Mexico. All these kids were really appreciative of us down there, and I had never felt such a warm welcome at a show before. It was awesome. The economic structure down there is very different from here or San Diego or wherever. They're pretty poverty-stricken and they were really appreciative of us coming down there and playing. I didn't understand what they were saying though because I don't speak Spanish. These two do though.
Michelle: You can still read people's expressions and body language. Is there anything else that you want to say to Humboldt County?
Joey: Sasq all the time.
Bobby: Sasq-watch.
JP: (laughs) I don't think she really understands your guys' lingo. We were looking for sasquatches today but we didn't find any.
Michelle: Did you go tromping around in the redwoods?
Joey: Yeah, maybe put that in the paper, "Next time, have a sasquatch come out to our show."
Michelle: I don't know if I can make that one happen, but we have a platypus that makes guest appearances at shows. Oh and Santa Claus as well.
JP: Oh that would be great. They ought to come up next time we play. Santa Claus is a friend of ours. We sing about him in a couple of songs.
Joey: And the tooth fairy...

www.thelocust.com
p.o. box 178262
San Diego, Ca 92177