Interview with Evil Idols, 28 February 2005
NB - Introduce yourself. 
Sad - Well, I'm Felipe Sad, I play guitar and sing for the Evil Idols
NB - How did Evil Idols start?
Sad - I'm not really sure coz by that time I was drunk all the time, the only thing I know is that we've met in a bar where Tocha, the other guitar player and singer, used to work. That was five years ago, I was new in town and was looking for some other bar flies to form a rock'n'roll punk band. By that time there wasn't one single band like that in Curitiba (I think we're still the only ones) and not so many in Brazil that I knew. Actually, the only band that was doing it here was The Sellouts, it's a shame they aren't playing anymore now that this shit has turned into hype.
Back to the question, at that bar I met Tocha and Dino, they had already played together in other bands and were into doing it. The problem was that all of us were guitarists... so Dino was set to get the bass, even if he hadn't ever played this instrument. I was already thinking this was just one of those bar plans, that never go anywhere, when Lucas showed up! The problem was that he was a BASS player, and we actually needed a DRUMMER!! Well, what the fuck, we already had a bass player that had never played bass. so Lucas got the job anyway, even if he had never played the drums before. Now, you can imagine how this whole thing started... It was a JOKE! Incredibly it worked fine and, as we've never taken us too seriously, it's still so damn fun! 
NB - I know you are from Brazil, but don't know which city?
Sad - The band was formed in Curitiba, in Paraná state, a cold and gray city in the south of Brasil, but each of us came from different cities. I'm from Rio, Lucas from Brasilia, Dino from somewhere in Sao Paulo state, and Tocha... from hell...
NB - You are pretty young. Are there lots of young people in Brazil who are into punk garage rock?
Sad - Actually we're not that young... we're all 27 or 28. Ain't it cool that everyone in the band was born in 77?.. hum... yeah... everyone, but Lucas, fucking kiddo!
But answering the question, first of. I'm not sure if I could call us a garage rock band, we're more like a punk rock band that has some bluesy and garage rock elements, garage punk wannabes, hehe, let's let the "label" for the real Brazilian garage bands like the Fuzzfaces, the Transistors or Thee Butchers Orchestra. Of course the scene, especially in São Paulo, is growing and there are more and more cool garage punk bands! Curitiba has a huge Psycho Billie scene and a big "Mod" scene, so there is a good public to garage rock, 60's and stuff. But I wouldn't say that the youngsters are really into it over here, they may even enjoy the local bands, but I doubt they've ever heard of Seeds, Trashmen or the Mummies and the Oblivians. I doubt most of them ever actually heard Sonics or Kinks other than "Psycho" or "You really got me", songs the DJs usually play in the rock clubs here.
Actually, most of the kids here are more into emo and melodic hardcore, as in everywhere else.
Besides that, what is really getting big here, and it's kinda annoying, is this rock'n'roll "fashion" thing. It's turned into hype and, the same time it's good that the kids are getting into good music, it gets me to nerves that it's like everybody has read Kill Me Please and now is a rock star, loves MC5 and Stooges and is in a rock'n'roll band, hahaha. C'mon, this shit is getting into a point that now it's cool to say that you love Motley Crüe!! That's weird, 5 years ago NOBODY would have the guts to say something like that in a punk environment, haha. But it's all fashion, next season it might be Techno or Heavy Metal or even Garage Rock.
NB - How often do you play gigs and where?
Sad - Here in Brasil is almost impossible to have a punk band as your only activity, so some of us have a regular job and that makes it hard to tour. Even though in the last few years we've managed to play at least two weekends a month. We play some other cities like São Paulo, Rio, Florianópolis, but most of the gigs are in Curitiba. 
NB - Do you sell your music outside Brazil? Do you have contacts with labels and distros in Europe or US?
Sad - Mozine of Läjä Records has his contacts and there are some distros selling our splits and record in Europe and US, but I'm not sure how this is going... we don't get too many feedback from there, ahah.
NB - Why do you sing in English and not Portuguese?
Sad - To be honest... we only think it sounds better. Most of the bands we listen sing in english and most of the bands that try to write this type of music in portuguese suck. Of course there are some few bands that can do that and don't sound stupid, but that's not our case.
NB - Your 3 favorite bands?
Sad - fuck, that's hard... I listen to so many types of punk and rock'n'roll... I love the american early 80's hardcore the same way I love the 70's punk and 60's garage. To be political, haha, I would say the Stooges, Dead Boys and Circle Jerks. 
NB - Your favorite drink?
Sad - Beer, whisky, Gin tonics, and a good old cachaça, the true Brazilian distilled.
NB - Do you have any hobbies?
Sad - I guess the band is my hobby.
NB - When can we expect your new album?
Sad - We have already like 10 or 11 new songs and are working on some others, I have no idea when it's going to be out, but we will probably record it next semester or earlier.
NB - Anything you want to say to No Brains readers?
Sad - Thanks a lot Vanya, it's always good to know someone is interested in what we've been doing. Anybody interested in our stuff, contact us by email evilidols@hotmail.com or take a look at our website www.evilidols.cjb.net, it's mostly in portuguese, but if you get the rock'n'roll language, you'll find what you want, babe! ALRIGHT!
