My Dying Bride

This is the log file from a live IRC chat session with Aaron from MDB on Wednesday
17th December 1997.

<Paul-ND> Aaron, Mary Bielich (Ex-Mythic now Novembers Doom) says Hello, and asks "When are you coming back here to the states?"
<Aaron_s> god knows. in a couple of years probably. Hi Mary
<J1> Baltais wants to know what the last few lines are to the 6th song on Turn Loose the Swans. They're not in the booklet he says...
<Grotesque> Aaron, I sent you Quake wads at the last chat. Have you played Quake II yet, and if so, what do you think?
<Grotesque> hehe
<Aaron_s> Err Im not sure. I have not played that lp for ages. Im sure somebody out there must know.
<Aaron_s> Im always adding words to songs and i cant remember what they are
<iNsuRge> Hi Aaron, are you planning a tour to Australia? And if so, any chance of an all-ages gig?
<Aaron_s> Thanks for the Quake stuff but we couldnt get it onto floppy. Andrew has QII so ill borrow it off him later.
<Aaron_s> We would love to go to Australia but christ knows when we'll get the chance.
<Aaron_s> We try to express all ages gigs at all times but its not always possible.
<AxisMundi> Aaron: Will you ever "GROWL" again on any future release?
<Aaron_s> I'd love to and WILL on the next l.p...I love doing it live too.
<Devlin> 1) is there any chance Bill Law will join MDB permanently 2) do you have any idea where in Canada he is from?
<Aaron_s> I dont know if Bill even wants to join MDB. He is a great drummer though and we wouldn't say no if he asked to join us.....
<Aaron_s> I think hes from Edmondton.
<|Ramirez> What are your touring plans for 1998? Are you going to play at the summer festivals?
<Aaron_s> I hope so. We have nothing confirmed yet, but i'm sure we'll do a few....
<Aaron_s> well, we will have a new l.p. to promote wont we.
<NEKROLORD> hello Aaron, nice to speak with you. it was said in a fairly recent interview that on Like Gods Of The Sun you guys were feeling a bit more aggressive, will we be seeing a return to the more somber draw out approach of past albums?
<Aaron_s> Not really. The new stuff is like a cross between Like Gods...and Turn Loose...
<Aaron_s> Its not slow and its not quick. Kind of both.
<Steev_L> Aaron, which Dead Can Dance album is your favourite and/or the one which has influenced you the most?
<Aaron_s> My favourite DCD l.p. is The Serpents Egg.....
<Aaron_s> And that is the one which has probably influenced me the most.
<Baltais> I realy enjoy listening Turn LOOse the Swans, so will u ever return to this kind of music ?
<Baltais> What about your next LP ?
<Aaron_s> I love Turn Loose too but that was then and this is now.....
<Desolate1> What do you think 'bout not so doomy , but yet extreme singers as Bjork ?
<Aaron_s> The new l.p. will have some early sounds to it, but we always like to move forward.
<Desolate1> Aaron_s Will there be any new experiments on next LP ?
<Aaron_s> Bjork is crazy but talented. I like some of her stuff but most of it is rather shite.
<Aaron_s> I will be making up the lyrics as I record them on a track called "The Fool"...
<iNsuRge> The interpretation I have of the lyrics on Like Gods...is that of someone who used to believe in God, but now doesn't, and sees the situation as a 'bad relationship'...ie: between a guy and a girl.
<iNsuRge> Is that a fair comprehension?
<Aaron_s> I'm just going to flip out and go nuts and record whatever happens.
<Aaron_s> Gods is a little complicated to go into in any depth here, but it has nothing to do with God or religion.
<|Ramirez> Aaron_s, how do you prepare yourself for your live shows? I have "For Darkest Eyes" and your performance is breathtaking..
<Aaron_s> Most of the time i'm very sick and nervous before a show. I don't know why. I thought I would get used to it as time goes by but I haven't....
<Aaron_s> My performance on stage is almost a blurr to me as I'm so terrified I hardly know who I am at times.
<And_Ru> Aaron : how are you finding writing lyrics this time around ? is touring making lyrics easier to come by ?
<Aaron_s> Writing is getting harder and harder for me and I wish I knew why. It was fairly easy in the early days but not any more.....
<Baltais> R u satisfied with your last album ? I mean Do u realy love it ?
<Aaron_s> Touring does nothing to aid my writing capabilities, if anything, it hinders them.
<Baltais> I think it is kind of pop alike ( sorry if i am wrong...)
<Baltais> r u involved in desining you web page ?
<Aaron_s> I don't love anything we have done, but the last l.p. I like a lot.
<Aaron_s> POP! Bunch of arse mate. Ha ha. I hope we sound like Oasis on the next l.p.
<Aaron_s> I am not envolved in our web page at all but I would like to design some stuff for it....
<Aaron_s> I'll have a chat to j1 about it later.
<J1> aaron: well, that's a deal then. I can use all the input I can get ;)
<Paul-ND> Aaron, I used to love the release of the EP's in between each full length release. Any chance we'll see an EP anytime in the future? And is there a title for the new LP yet?
<Aaron_s> We would like to release an ep and Hammy here says maybe. I do hope so.....
<Aaron_s> No title for next l.p. yet but very soon.
<J1> for the newcomers: the procedure is that you msg me for permission to ask a question, and I will give you +v when it is your turn.
<NEKROLORD> because lyrics are getting harder and harder to come by would you ever consider letting the other guys help and if so would you find it hard to sing another person's words with as much passion as you sing your own?
<Aaron_s> Yes. I dont think I could sing anyone elses' lyrics with much passion.....
<Aaron_s> The lyrics will always be written by me and the guys are happy with that.
<Zwierz> Ok... I wanted to ask when MDB will come to Poland to give us show ? :)
<Aaron_s> Hell, we always play in Polska. And we will again next year. Our craziest fans are from there.
<|Ramirez> I've heard that you've never played "Two Winters Only" live. If it's true, can you tell us why?
<Aaron_s> This is actually our guitarists' fault. They claim they would need extra guitars to pull it off properly....
<Aaron_s> I think they are just lazy though. I would love to do it live.
<Baltais> what will be the new stuff in your next lp ?(u said "we like to go further...")
<Aaron_s> Its very difficult to describe the new stuff because it is so new...
<Aaron_s> We have yet to get a proper feel for the songs, as we are still adding little bits here and there....
<Devlin> Are there any bands who you would really like to play a cover from?
<Aaron_s> I guess in a few weeks we will get an overall feel and it will be easier to describe to people.
<Aaron_s> We have done two covers for the Peaceville l.p. "X" but I don't think we will do any more....
<atroziz> hhe. U said in Poland are craziest fans. U like polish stuffs like our beer and vodka ?
<Aaron_s> Although we did enjoy recording the 2 songs, so maybe. Who knows?
<Aaron_s> The Vodka is a little on the harsh side for my tastes, but the beer is more than acceptable.
<Desolate1> My vision is that every great band begin with their own , raw , original sound, ant then move to the usual, poppish one (Tiamat/Paradise../Gathering/Metallica), don't you think ?
<Desolate1> Are you going to make any gigs in Russia ? :))
<Aaron_s> Poppish? I wouldn't go that far but I know what you mean....
<Aaron_s> Its just progression. Some bands are happy playing the same thing year after year.
<Bleedme> Aaron, on the MDB video you make a very big mistake in the lyrics of `your river`...do you know that ???
<Aaron_s> RUSSIA? Of course we will play in Russia. Probably next year infact.
<Aaron_s> Oh yes! Nothing new there mate, ha ha....
<Bleedme> drunk too much
<Bleedme> ?
<Aaron_s> Its all down to nerves and wanting to try new lyrics out. It never works properly though and I always sound daft but I don't care.
<J1> aaron: so what was that mistake then? I never noticed...
<Aaron_s> Drinking too much doesn't help matters either.
<Aaron_s> Err what mistake?. Somebody say mistake? Not me, he he h e
<J1> heh, ok
<AxisMundi> I love most of your lyrics and one is "The Bitterness and The Bereavement" What is this about and where did you get the inspiration for it? And what are your thoughts around Norwegian Doom? (If u ever heard any...)
<Aaron_s> Bitterness is a very old song and I'm very proud of it and the lyrics which is why I think you should try a little harder to understand them...
<Shiriken> What pieces of classic music has influenced your works ? --Please do a gig in Trondheim, Norway sometime again :)
<Aaron_s> As for Norwegian Doom,well I have 1 or 2 doomy Scandinavian doomy l.p.s but I don't know which ones are Norwegian. Sorry I know its rude.
<Aaron_s> Classical music inspires us a lot. Not usually specific pieces, more like the overall feel.....
<Aaron_s> Its the way the composers worked that influences us most.
<|Ramirez> When are we going to see a live MDB album?
<Aaron_s> A live album eh? Its been spoken about but the general feeling is that bands only release a live l.p. when they are ready to split up or have run out of ideas. We are neither.
<Bleedme> Have you guys heard of theatre of Tragedy, Esoteric, and what do you think of orphanage
<Aaron_s> I'm not the biggest Theatre of Tragedy fan I must admit. Never heard Esoteric.....
<{MDB}> I don't know if someone already asked this, cause i wasn't here from the start. I live in Greece and here it is very hard to find MDB T-shirts, long-sleeves or even Vinyl (I'm more of a vinyl fan)...are these products only limited edition or is it just impossible for them to reach Greece??
<Aaron_s> If Orphanage is the same Orphanage we gigged with a year or two ago, then I quite like them.
<Nergal> My Dying Bride has evoluted from songs with a death voice to a "gothic" voice. The next album that your recorded, is it in the same way than the first albums or in the same of the last ?
* J1 announces that he tries to give everyone a turn, but if you feel you were forgotten, you can apply again. have patience though, I can't give you voice immediately...
<Aaron_s> I don't know about vinyl but T-shirts will become available very soon as we are about to sign a deal with Razamataz ( Cradle Of Filth etc.. )
<VladL> Hi Aaron! Do you like growling yet? Will you use it on the next album?
<Aaron_s> Yes. There is a little Growling here and there on the new stuff.
<VladL> Cool!
<Paul-ND> Aaron, What are the cover songs you recorded? Can you release the titles of the songs or at least the bands you covered? (im sure we're all dying to know!)
<Aaron_s> The two covers we have recorded for the new Peaceville l.p. are....
<Aaron_s> "Some Velvet Morning" by Nancy & Lee and "Roads" by Portishead.
<Stock|e> Are you guys any kind of religious in any way?
<Aaron_s> Not in the least. Religion was a good idea that just went bad... Very Bad
<Abducted> any title for the new album?
<Aaron_s> No title yet for the new lp but I'll have one in 1998.
<ORLOCK> HI AARON: I was wondering why u guys never play in festivals
<Aaron_s> What! We did Dynamo a couple of years ago and will again this year if we get invited....
<Aaron_s> We would have done a couple last year but our drummer left!
<iNsuRge> Back to the lyrics on Gods...I get a different impression when I just 'listen' to them, than I do when I actually 'read' them through. Can you give us some sort of insight into perhaps just one song? I particularly like "The Dark Caress" at the moment...it seems to me like another song about falling in love with someone who ends up dying.
<Aaron_s> Thats about the long and the short of it. Most of that l.p. is about love believe it or not....
<Orphaned> which video of yours is your fave? Cry of mankind was one of the most extreme and attractive video i have ever seen. you really look like Jesus. heheh. And do you like Black metal?
<Aaron_s> Its our most positive feeling album to date.....
<Aaron_s> As for going into the lyrics, well we can't really do it here because I could go on for hours and that would be unfair to others.
<J1> I think Aaron is a bit lagged, or maybe I am. Please be patient.
<Aaron_s> My favourite video is the Cry Of Mankind. I felt very relaxed doing it and I think it looks the best.
<Nergal> My Dying Bride has evoluted from songs with a death voice to a "gothic" voice. The next album that your recorded, is it in the same way than the first albums or in the same of the last ?
<Aaron_s> The new stuff does have a bit of Death Metal Growling on it but also the vocals are developing in an even more unusual way....
<Aaron_s> Some people will love it and of course, some will hate it. I love to experiment though so I'm not too upset by negative remarks.
<TchorT> What is your favorite DEAD CAN DANCE album?
<Aaron_s> The Serpents Egg. Its by far the best DCD album. I play it almost every day.
<J1> Aaron, Orphaned also wanted to know if you like black metal...
<partIII> Being in a succesful band, how has it changed your attitude towards other bands, i.e., do you see yourselves as "fans" of bands you like, or more as collegues?
<Aaron_s> I used to be a huge black metal fan in the mid 80s but moved away from it. I'm slowly getting more into it again. Emperor are leading the way I think.
<Aaron_s> Fans definitely. I don't consider and bands as collegues.
<Aaron_s> Whoops sorry about my spelling!
<Sauron> Aaron is there any chance that MDB will play Dynamo Fest 98?
<Aaron_s> not much these days to be honest. I have moved away from most of the classics and have been reading Terry Pratchet for the last few years.
<ORLOCK> How did the tour with Iron maiden went, how did Maaiden fans react on u music? I saw u guys in stockholm when u played and I must say that u guys are the Kings of gothic metal...
<Aaron_s> Not much guitar work? Are we listening to the same band here? You are lucky Andrew and Calvin are not here.
<Aaron_s> I don't play an instrument but I think I'll have a go at learning the keyboards.
<ORLOCK> How did the tour with Iron maiden went, how did Maaiden fans react on u music? I saw u guys in stockholm when u played and I must say that u guys are the Kings of gothic metal...
<Aaron_s> If the folk at Dynamo ask us this year, we would say YES. Its a great festival.
<METALONE> .....AARON, plase for the CHILIAN fans..
<METALONE> 1)in the "like gods..." you guys have been evolved, first the band started with doom and then to gothic-doom, IT BEING CHARACTERIZED, this last album, for have a sound a more AMBIENT sound that DOOM... in the next album that will be released in FEBRUARY you guys will keep the evolved and eliminate for all the doom factor?, keeping in that way the band like a black-ambient-gothic?
<METALONE> 2)-have u think in do videos for the new album???????????
<METALONE> 3)-How have been the work with BILL?, i�ts posible that BILL will be convert in an official member and permanent of
<J1> that's cool and all, but the idea is one question at a time, to give everyone a chance....
<J1> I am sorry folks, but there seems to be a large lag. :(
<J1> aaron, are you still there? I couldn't get a ping...
-PeaceBot- topic IRC session suspended because of excessive lag? I don't think that's possible
<Aaron_s> The Iron Maiden tour was great. We got to meet one of the most legendary rock bands ever and play in front of thousands of people....
<Aaron_s> I would love to do it again and would if they asked us.
<J1> I'm going to switch servers, we'll try again after that
<J1> aaron, say "aye" when you read this ;)
<Aaron_s> yes
<Aaron_s> question again please
<Abducted> iam from portugal, and when i saw u guys live, what hitted me most, was your (aaron) feeling while performing, what do u feel live? and by the way, is there any possibility for u to return here (and play more songs!)?
<Aaron_s> We will come to Portugal next year and put on an even more thrilling performance than we did before
<J1> ok, the lag has cleared it seems...
<VladL> Give us the idea of the next album. Will it contain a number of short fast songs or maybe you will step further into slowness and sadness?
<Aaron_s> The new material is still very much in its infancy and fairly difficult to label....
<Paul-ND> Aaron, In filming the video Cry of Mankind, did the band have a good laugh on your expense standing in front of them like Christ? After meeting you guys, Andy seems like he'd have a great time with something like that.
<Aaron_s> We will all have to wait and see how it comes out...
<Aaron_s> Time is almost up. Last orders please.
<Aaron_s> They certainly did. I didn't care though. I was in a world of my own.
<Winter> Do you usually listen to your own work? What's your favourite release and why?
<And_Ru> Aaron : Iron Maiden are touring Australia next october, how about asking Sir LORD STEVE HARRIS for a support slot ?...in regards to touring with Iron Maiden again, and wanting to come to Australia!!!
<Aaron_s> I hardly ever listen to our own work. I'm not sure why. My favourite track however is For My Fallen Angel
<Aaron_s> One more question please then I must go.
<ASKE> since i know Aaron is the painter of the cover from Turn Loose the Swans album...i would like to know what it is about...if there is something exact in it or totally relative....
<Aaron_s> Its worth a try. I'll ring Harry now and see what he thinks.
<Aaron_s> Well its time for off. Sorry to be leaving so soon but duties call.
<J1> ok, well, thanks very much aaron.
<J1> the lag was a bit of a bummer, nevertheless I hope everyone enjoyed it.
<Aaron_s> Thanks to everyone for taking part. See you on tour sometime.
<Aaron_s> Extra thanx to j1 for all his help. Cheers

IRC Cyberchat

The Painless '98

The following is for entertainment only. The characters in this interview are entirely fictional. No reference to persons either living or dead is intended. (except of course the Spice Girls, Fleetwood Mac, Depeche Mode, Moonspell, and Nicky Clarke)
It is a satirical look at the increasing trend of bands to 'do what they want'

A: Excuse me while I just have my head shaved for a while
Q: Sorry, I know it looks good and I don't want to slag you off for it, cos you like it.
A: OK, let's discuss album sales. Ya know, I wanna sell a lot more, I wanna get signed to maybe Warner or something. And then I wanna change our name to Fluffy Rabbit.
Q: So that's basically your idea for the future then?
A: Yeah.
Q: Well just to get off that for a wee short second OK, I'll go back to it later on. How has the tour been going? A: Crap Q: Do people think you're prats or what?
A: Yeah, we're rubbish man. Q: No-ones actually come along to your gigs? A: (laughs) yeh, that's it. Basically we can't be bothered and are pissing all over our fans.
Q: I should just ask you so to be non-biased: how has the tour being going?
A: Crap. We're rubbish on stage now.
Q: OK, your rubbish, and you sound a bit crap so no-one's liked the new songs you've been playing?
A: Not really, everyone's been asking for stuff from Loose Pantyhose.
Q: Yeah I understand that cos they were good songs, and you've said you turned crap recently.
A: I used to disown them, but actually it's the best stuff you can write. We don't actually write the new stuff, we got pop guys to come in, ya know, the guys that write for the Spice Girls.
Q: You think they write better stuff? I think they don't to be honest, but I know how you're only going for sales.
A: Well yeh, that's absolutely true man, sales is it.
Q: Basically as long as you become really rich that's what matters?
A: Well look at it this way: it worked for U2!
Q: Yeh, they started with drum machines and got really popular, so you've done the same? Everything on the album's just a drum machine?
A: Yeah, cos our drummer's crap in reality.
Q: That's what I thought, but I didn't really want to say it. So what about the keyboards, is that the same sort of idea then?
A: The interesting thing about the keyboards is that we can't actually play them, we have to get someone else in to do it for us. She writes all the keyboard bits then we just rewrite them, so that's what happens with that.
Q: So it's all a slight bit of a con then?
A: Yeah, because I mean the majority of the album is keyboards but we don't actually write the parts cos none of us can play it!
Q: So the whole of the band is crap and does nothing?
A: Yeah especially interviews, we don't do interviews. You're really lucky you know. It gives you more of a rebel image if you shun the press, 'D'ya know what I mean'? Also, we've been through all that crap. Now that we're really famous we don't have to bother with promoting ourselves. Plus cutting the hair off helped, it makes us look less scary. Now everyone likes us
Q: So it's not that you're not good enough?
A: No of course not, who told you that?
Q: Did you get Nicky Clarke to do your hair?
A: No, he's got quite long hair, I don't want someone like that going near me. I got our keyboardist to do it.
Q: Maybe you should have gone to Nicky...

Q: What's worse: some of your older fans not being able to open their minds to your new stuff, or the rest of the music buying public seeing you as a death metal act?
A: I don't really inderstand the question. We were never death metal. Who said that? We don't even know what death metal is.
Q: Have you ever played metal?
A: Isn't that kinda like, Fleetwood Mac?
Q: Well sort of, but only their older stuff. They got their inspiration from metal, but then they became pop shit.
A: Ok right, OK. Does that sound familiar?
Q: Erm, maybe, if you think so.

Q: So you've tried to get more sales, you've changed your style, you've tried to get more fans, you've become a lot more commercial, but no-one else buys your albums, and you're playing in the same venue for about the fourth time in a row? So basically you're no better thn you were before?
A: Well I'd like to say for a start that we've never changed our style, we're exactly the same now as we were on our first album.
Q: Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you there.
A: Yeh, I mean I still do all exactly the same stuff

Q: I read this interview where you were saying all the songs you like playing and stuff like that, and you said you don't like people wanting you to play all the older stuff like 'Smedley's Past Tense'?
A: I'd like to correct you there again, we love playong older stuff such as '1000ms', ya know, 'Tomorrow Is...', older stuff like that.
Q: Yeh, people that want that really are asking a bit much, they need to move on.

Q: So what band would you rather have never existed?
A: Er, I probably would have never wanted Sisters Of Mercy to exist, we don't like them, copy them, or do anything like them, and we'd never cover any of their songs.Probaly the Smiths as well, we wouldn't cover them either. Tough question... I'd probably have liked myself to have not existed on the first two albums cos I like to disown stuff.
Q: So you think as a band you were a bit crap for the first six or so years of your career?
A: Yeah, even though at the time we were brilliant.
Q: I feel a bit bad for you now.
A: Thanks man, its good to know someone cares.

Q: So do people play any practical jokes on you these days?
A: Well people have been aiming liquids into my mouth quite a lot while I've been asleep. Q: Not when you're on stage? A: No, just on the tour bus. Another practical joke we like to play is to arange things, then blow them off at the last minute, I love doing stuff like that! Q: Some people might like that though. A: Yeah, it kinda lines the throat before you go on stage.

Q: So, '1000ms' video: have you done one? If so, why did you bother?
A: Well you see the thing is, we should have done but no-one buys our albums any more so we don't have any money to make a proper video. What we did it take a video camera out the back and film me and a goat. I've always been an animal lover. I think we'll get the RSPCA to sponsor the so we can make more money out of it.
Q: So it's basically what we've all expected of you so far? A: Yep.
Q: Is that what people want to see of you or is that what you do anyway? I mean you're a rockstar and stuff, so you don't have to do what other people want
A: That's basically the way it is, we're not in this to sell albums anymore. We did that on our first couple, but now we're going really into the underground.
Q: So do you think Mr Hamster, Mr Hatstand, and Mr Ulcer sold out then?
A: Well I don't really like talking about that stuff ya know Q: You think they're just doing what they want to do, basically the same as ever but the fans don't understand that? A: Look, I don't understand bands that sell out like that, they should be called Rockica! Why would they totally change their style in every way? I wouldn't go near them. I'm just glad we can stick to our principles and stay underground with fanzines and ezines and all that.
Q: Yeah, they're just so ego-laden. Like if someone wanted to do an interview with them they just wouldn't bother! You'd need to bring them a bottle of vodka!
A: Maybe if you payed them for it, cos their album sales are dwindling. Afterall you can't get them nationwide coverage, only worldwide. They don't like the underground either, cos they wannabe a crap pop band now, kinda Depeche Mode.
Q: Moonspell covered a Depeche Mode song recently, 'Sacred'. That was a good song.
A: Yeah, but Moonspell support the underground unlike us.

A: Is that about it?
Q: Wel...
A: We need to go off to do our pre-gig ritual
Q: You don't want to speak to me anymore?
A: Not really, I never did.
Q: (feeling really bad) Why, I thought you were a decent bunch of guys?
A: Who told you that?

Kevin + Graeme