Discovering the Waterfront

By : Ever aka Agent Emerson

Aloha. Konichiwa. Guten Tag. Kumusta Ka. Barev. Preved. Bonjour. Ciao. Hola. Salutations.

We’re back with the second interview post in our “getting to know you” FATIMA series. We’re still not quite at Vh1 Behind the Music status, so we’ll keep updating you guys on how psychotic & destructive we actually are, ourselves. The first interview brought you inside the mind of our bassist & founding member Rodolfo Reyes, Licenciado. Now it’s time to get lost in the vast wasteland that is my mind. It wouldn’t be very fair to interview myself, so I sat down with Cesar & had him grill me as if he was Larry King. He even wore the suspenders, tacky dress shirt & some shoulder pads to make his shoulders look all kinds of wonky. Now THAT is dedication.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. And the answer is… Yes… you ARE going to go down some deep dark psychological hallways, wind around some dangerous curves of knowledge, learn some things about the kama sutra & go on an all around mind bender. But you when you finish reading this post, look up and notice that you’re now laying in a field with the sun shining down on you, feeling like you’ve just heard the 8lb 6oz infant jesus speak the meaning of life into your eargasmic ears, you’ll be that more thankful you clicked on the link that brought you here. You’re welcome.

Ok, enough with the nonsense. Here is the conversation Cesar and I had after a few drinks and watching some episodes of Dexter & Sons of Anarchy. Enjoy.

What instrument(s) do you play?

Guitar & Keytar.

How/when did you first start playing music?

I first got interested in actually playing music in middle school, Stevenson Jr High represent!

I was really into metal at the time & my death metalhead buddy taught me how to play few power chords on some beat up BC Rich warlock he had.  In the 8th grade we found out about a battle of the bands our school was having & we decided we HAD to perform. We were completely disorganized so we asked some older, cooler friends of ours who were in high school to help us out. They showed us how to play a few Sepultura songs & we ended up performing the song (War For) Territory. It was great because there were only about 8 of us in school really into that style of music, but I had so many awesome friends who really dug the fact that we were a “band” that everyone was cheering us on. After that I was determined to really learn how to play. I would sit in my room for hours playing my $99 no name guitar thru my shitty little peavy keyboard amp. So our neighbors in my cul-de-sac in east los got to learn a lot about Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, Pantera & especially Metallica, because I would play they’re songs over and over. Apologies to the residents of Dacotah & Atlantic St. circa 1992.

What kind of gear do you currently use?

I’m in the process of changing out some stuff, but right now I have a Gibson Les Paul Studio, Epiphone Les Paul Custom, Marshall JCM 2000 DSL & 4×12 cab, a few Boss pedals (metal zone, TU-2 tuner, digital reverb & delay RV3, G-7 equalizer, CH-1 super chorus, OS-2 overdrive), Shure PGX14 Wireless, Monster Cables, Red Monkey Designs custom Fatima guitar straps, Snarling Dog .73mm picks & D’Addario XL Nickel 10g Strings. Most of that stuff is used for studio & recording though. Live I’m just running with the gain high on the amp. I love the sound that comes out of a JCM.

How/when did you join Fatima?

I joined Fatima just after the old Ojos Cerrados EP was recorded/released. I think that was in ’04. We’ve been friends since high school & we all used to skateboard & party together. I was hanging around the studio while you guys were recording, mainly because there was a pool table there.

The one that was tilted to one side because the leg was broken?

That’s the one! So I guess I might have been added to the lineup by default because the guy who was playing the 2nd guitar wasn’t into it at the time, and after the record was done he was out. Right place right time.

What was the first show you played with/as Fatima?

The first show I ever played with Fatima was at the Hard Rock Cafe in Beverly Hills in like 2004/2005. I don’t think that venue is even there anymore. But after that night I knew we had a special chemistry & that things were going to go well for us.  We looked sexy as all hell up there. I’m surprised bras & panties weren’t being thrown up on stage.

Out of all the shows you have played, do you have a favorite or one that sticks out among all others?

There is really no way of picking one over another. We’ve had the extreme luck, pleasure, whatever you want to call it, to play amazing shows in front anywhere from 5 to 2000 people. But I would say the show(s) that come to mind right away are all the old Westchester shows. As much as some people “hated” on that venue back in the day, it was the perfect dive. Free parking, cheap drinks & awesome management (Al the Godfather). We always had great shows there. It’s where we honed our live skills & learned how to put on a great show. The last few shows there were insane. To have locals, LA locals who are notorious for standing arms crossed & looking bored at shows, singing along & starting big mosh pits to our music was rad.  I miss that place. RIP to the eight ball.

What is the funniest tour story you can remember (and can discuss without getting in trouble)?

There are so many to choose from. Getting banned from a very well-known sunset strip venue. Over the top games of king’s cup. The band jumping off stage mid set to beat the shit out of some guys punking smaller kids in Vegas. The tour games we create to torture our manager. (el premio mayor) Tons and tons of male nudity.

C’mon you can only pick one remember!

Ok, ok.  The year we got to play SxSw in Austin is a good one. We got invited to play a showcase at SxSw and were stoked to say the very fucking least. Only problem is that we, as most indie bands do, all have day jobs. So although we would have loved to be there all week partying and taking in the music, we had to go there and back as quickly as possible. We couldn’t fly because the cargo fees for our equipment would have killed us, so we piled into my old Nissan Frontier & hooked a u-haul trailer up to it. The plan was to drive non-stop in teams of 2, so that we could actually get some sleep. Team RamRod (Cesar and I) took the first shift & team smokes-a-lot (Rudy & Gina/Doula) were our back up.  We drove 26hrs straight… Got to San Antonio where we were crashing for the night at 4am the day we are supposed to perform & were so beyond sleep that we said fuck it & opened up a bottle of Jack Daniels… Drank until we performed that afternoon… Hit 3 different bars/showcases after our own show & partied with friends from LA & Mexico who where there for the Warped Tour showcase… Slept a couple hours, then drove 26hrs straight back. It was all sorts of fantastic & awful at the same time. There were so many things that went on in a 3 day period. I think I might have to do a podcast to run it all down.

That was such a ridiculous trip! 

It was!  But I would do it again in a heartbeat. You get so many stories from being on tour that you can tell when you’re an old man. That way the younger kids will think, hey this old man is the shit.

on the road again...

What musicians/bands/artists have influenced you the most musically altogether?

Too many! I guess to narrow it down tops on the list would be Minor Threat & Gorilla Biscuits, Pantera, Nofx, Rise Against & Bayside. I get inspiration from and listen to all types of bands from all types of genres, but I would say that these bands have influenced the way I structure a song most of all.

What band(s) are you currently listening to?

I have a 60gb iPod that has everything from Cannibal Corpse to Justin Timberlake, but there are a couple of records that I’ve had on repeat lately. Bayside – Killing Time, Alkaline Trio – Agony & Irony, the Darlings – The New Escape, Emery – We Do What We Want, Only Crime – To the Nines, Four Year Strong – Enemy of the World.

What was the last show/concert you went to?

The last show I went to was Mayer Hawthorne & the County’s record release show at the Roxy.

You’ve been telling me to check out his music for a while. 

Dude, it’s really good.  Motown feel to it. They put on a great live show too. If you can win me over live, i’m a fan for life. Hence, the next show we’re going to is Bayside, for what seems like the 100th time.  I have to catch them every time they roll thru LA. I sing my heart out fangirl style too. Anthony Raneri is definitely on my mancrush list. But on the real, he’s such a cool down to earth guy.

Anthony Raneri (Bayside) & I at the Troubadour

Aside from playing music, what other activities/hobbies do you like to do?

I’m really getting into crochet. Cross stitching as well. It really brings me to a peaceful place.

Really, I still try to skateboard whenever I can. Me & Rudy took up golfing a while back too. I figure if Fat Mike can do it, so can I. Eating… A lot of eating. Eating is considered a hobby right?

If it is, we might be considered professionals, not hobbyists. 

You definitely have a point there. Aside from that I’ve been taking a lot of photos lately. Thinking about getting a better camera & actually putting in some work to become a good photog.

What do you want people to know about the new music Fatima is writing?

Balls.

(laughs) Just Balls?

Of course not. What I want people to know is that they better start strengthening their neck muscles now, because there is going to be some serious head bobbing going down once the record actually comes out. I think we have a good balance of faster/heavier songs that the young’uns can cause a ruckus too & slowed down, sing along type of songs. This is definitely not one of those “experimental” 2nd albums that bands seem to like putting out to show how much they’ve “changed.” We’re not changing our formula, but I think you’ll be able to notice the… I guess maturity would be the right word, from the first record to this one.

Just for fun… answer with the first thing that comes to mind!

Without music I would be : bored. extremely bored.

Music is : motivation.

My music makes me feel : tingly in all the right places.

I write/play music because : it is what comes natural.

You should support music because : if you don’t, creatures will come out of the shadows & drag you’re body down the street & away to hell as Patrick Swayze’s ghost watches.