FOR THE LOVE OF IVY
Geordie Pleathur Interviews
THE MANSFIELDS sent me a really cool D.I.Y. promo-package for review, years and years ago, ("Doncha know that it was just bad timing...") cus, unfortunately it was received right when I was being abruptly evicted, from my long-time companion's pad, for the crimes of being under-affluent, losing my job ranting for the entertainment weekly to make way for more obediant fans of the Strokes and Miley Cyrus, and for lacking a driver's license in the midwest, where you're supposed to finance the cable, and aggressively drive a big truck, so I never got the chance to properly discover them, because one's most treasured stash of punk ephemera and collectible memorabilia, always seems to evaporate overnight, as a luckless street crazy on the perpetual couch-tour, of cheap motels and Greyhound stations, so it very regretfully, wasn't until recent years, when my man, LUCKY, the perceptive and persuasive, taste-makin', talent-scout, editor-in-chief of Sugarbuzz Magazine, kept nagging me to check 'em out, that I finally got wise to the wild-eyed voodoo of the fabulous MANSFIELDS. They've since, become fast favorites of mine, and yours, too! If you like your rock'n'roll fun and sleazy, cool, and anthemic, THE MANSFIELDS deliver their own blast-off brand of gloriously garagey, hedonistic punk'n'roll to their devoted and enthusiastic audiences, all over the world. Like the Fleshtones or Ramones, they're constantly busy converting the entire black planet into MANSFIELDS fans, one show at a time. Each gig creates a new wave of ardent devotees, who take the feel good message of the MANSFIELDS, by word-of-mouth, to all their friends, and they're attracting broad audiences of hot broads, across the generational divides. The old guys in the fitted, black leather, who never go to shows anymore, drag out their Cuban heels and favorite 13th Floor Elevators t-shirt for these memorable MANSFIELD performances, as well as the aging bombshells, former pin-up kittens, greaser badguys, and even all those corporate-programmed, young kids in the skinny jeans, and razor cuts, and Hot Topic garb, who instantly recognize qualities in the music of the MANSFIELDS, sadly missing, in many of their peer's bands.

One of the best contemporary live groups still bringing all the kool ghouls and sultry Morticias out of their coffins to frolic freakishly together in the high-camp, low-brow spirit of Screamin' Jay Hawkins, The Cramps, the Dimestore Haloes, The Ramones, the Hollywood Joneses, Starwood/Leathur Records era Crue, black and white horror movies, ancient EC comic book titles like, "The Vault Of Horror" and "The Crypt Of Terror", and all those psycho-soulmen, hillbilly crooners, over-sexed lounge losers, retired strippers, spooky sixties TV show hosts, and moonshine-demented, fifties rocket-punks, repopularized, in recent years, by Howie Pyro, on his INTOXICA radio-show. So put on yer swankiest falsies, furry negligees, gold lame', purple Liberache vampire capes, corpse-paint, and blue suede bikinis, and drag your bored cadavers out to see the MANSFIELDS, as soon as they're performing within striking distance of your ghost town, but keep an electric eye on all your own personal Vampiras, cuz that dastardly witch-magnet, Dave Mansfield in his thigh-high platform boots, nazi hat, and flaming trousers looks just like....an Elvis From HELL! (-G.P.)
PUNK GLOBE: I know the Cramps were big favorites of yours, what was the first Cramps record you heard, and who were some of the other bands that really captured your imagination as a kid?
DAVE MANSFIELD: As far as The Cramps go, the first album I really remember falling in love with was “A Date With Elvis” and it is probably still my favorite. Such a great one, the sounds on it are perfect, the vocals have that perfect slap back echo and it just feels very liberating. On a side note, Jim Chandler was our drummer for about a year, and after, that he went on to play in some other amazing bands, including, The Cramps, and The Makers from Seattle. Now, as a kid, the records that made huge impressions on me were Elvis’ records, the early Beatles and Rolling Stones. We’re talking about the age of 4 and 5. These were my parents’ records and I, even at that age, was totally immersed in the songs and album sleeves. Trying to figure out who John, Paul, George, and Ringo were on that “Meet the Beatles” album, was almost impossible, 'cause they all looked so much alike to me, at that age. The Rolling Stones “Out of Our Heads” album-same thing. I would play “Satisfaction” over and over and over. My Uncles were about 10 years older than me, so I would also catch-on to the stuff they were listening to, songs like The Sweets “Little Willie” and stuff like "Kung Fu Fighting", etc. Later on, Joan Jett, Blondie and Stray Cats. This was RADIO music at the time… Totally Fabulous. This lead straight into discovering Motley Crue, and seeing them on the "Shout At The Devil" tour in my hometown sealed the deal. These fucking guys were GODS, and everything else looked absolutely wrong in comparison. That whole scene was great for about 2 years. It just degenerated into a bunch of stuff I couldn’t relate to…White Lion, Winger, all that Junk. That was a seriously frustrating period. All our friends were buying right into Nelson and Trixter, it was insane. In stepped, The Ramones, and they saved my LIFE. Before Nirvana happened, Punk Rock was the C.B.G.B. scene, The London thing with The Sex Pistols, and the ones who started It, The Ramones. There is more of course, but this is a pretty generic overview for me, because there as a ton of amazing artists who have come out of all the decades and I just tend to gravitate to colorful and special performers. I can see it in other performers, I know the goods when I see them.
PUNK GLOBE: How were you affected by "TOO FAST FOR LOVE"?
DAVE MANSFIELD: I discovered "Too Fast For Love" AFTER "Shout At The Devil" came out. 'Probably like a month, after seeing them in concert, that first time. It seemed so drastically different, in comparison to "Shout At The Devil". I really liked the album, but I think it took a few listens. Stuff like, “Come on and Dance” had such a different feel. At the time, I really liked the more aggressive stuff, but now I can sooooo appreciate the Pop, Glitter type stuff, 'cause the aggressive stuff is so fucking easy to write and play. The other stuff takes more guts and finesse.
PUNK GLOBE: Was it hard finding the right people? Please discuss origins of the Mansfields?
DAVE MANSFIELD: No it wasn’t hard. Doug is my brother, so we already had that going on. What we did was find the only other people in town who looked really cool, and had the right influences. The only other 2 guys were Tommy Marfia and Mike Steckley. They were Colorado’s answer to Tommy Lee and Vince Neil, no one else was doing that stuff, just us. Long story short, that evolved into The Mansfields, simply because, we were far better at writing and playing Punk stuff. Mike wasn’t into being a lead singer after that, so Doug and I took up the slack and The Mansfields are Doug, Tommy and Myself. Mike became our tour manager and stage and light tech.
PUNK GLOBE: How many albums have you released? Please discuss discography/challenges of "making records" in the digital age...How do you finance your recordings? Do you still have to have a crappy day-job? Have you appeared on any compilations?
DAVE MANSFIELD: Making records in the digital age is no different for us than it was when we were recording everything on 2” Ampex tape. Probably the pro tools generation are just more generic in approach and result. Great rock n roll is about capturing special moments and pro tools eliminates a lot of the nuances and such. A lot of people are making cut and paste “photoshop with sound” records these days. I want no part of that. I don’t work a dead end job, thankfully. Recording time has always been expensive for band like ours, but now, I am my own producer, and record everything myself. We have been on way too many compilations to mention, that was a big thing back in the ‘90’s and early 2000’s.
DISCOGRAPHY:

Albums:
SAPPY SONGS FOR SUMMER NIGHTS(1998),
KILL YOUR RADIO! (2001),
LOUD, FAST, PUNK, TRASH, ROCK N ROLL (2003),
CRAMP YOUR STYLE (2008),
MUTANT MONSTER BEACH PARTY (Live Album 2009).

DVD:
THIS CITY KILLS…LIVE! (2005).

Most of this can be found on ITUNES or by going to www.gearheadrecords.com
PUNK GLOBE: I know you've toured overseas, quite a bit, where have audiences been most receptive to the Mansfields brand of dirty, glammy, badarsed rocknroll?
DAVE MANSFIELD: It has kinda varied from tour to tour, but Germany was initially fantastic for us. Sweden, Norway, France, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium…all of these places have a fond place in my memory for great crowds, and wonderful people, on a personal level. Really, all of the countries have been great, don’t wanna leave anone out, ya know?
PUNK GLOBE: What do you think about Sal Canzonieri's theory regarding a corporate "Anti-Rock Conspiracy" in the U.S.? It DOES seem like rock music's been replaced by American Idol and teen pop, in this country, doesn't it? Are you aware of any thriving underground scenes, anywhere? Where people are still publishing print zines, releasing music on hard copy formats, or getting together, in person, ROCKING?
DAVE MANSFIELD: I’m not totally familiar with Sal’s theory, but from what I do know of it, yes, I do think that is the case. It really seems like in America, anyway, they love to celebrate mediocrity. I feel like this goes across the boards to country music, punk, pop… etc etc. Once and a while, something will slip through the cracks, and cause a little stir, like The Hives, The Sounds, or White Stripes or something, ya know? But on a whole, They like to keep it safe and controlled. I just had a quick glaze through the new Rolling Stone w/ Lady GaGa on the cover, and I almost laughed out loud a few times, 'cause the mediocrity is just boiling over, in that magazine. A bunch of worn out rock stars, or new generic junk...take your pick. As for me, I have lived warmly in the embrace of my record collection and occasionally, something new will emerge, and I will have a little hope…I also think there are scenes everywhere doing all the DIY stuff, it’s just underground again, and with Myspace and Facebook, it’s getting harder to get people out, and into record stores, where they would find zines, and stuff like that.
PUNK GLOBE: You're known for performing an outstanding rendition of a Billy Idol favorite. Were Generation X a band you liked, growing up? Have you heard Derwood's Lp "Tone Poet", or Carbon/Silicon? What did you think of Sputnik? Did you hear Idol's "Devil's Playground"?
DAVE MANSFIELD: Thanx for the compliment on "Dancing With Myself". I actually heard from a couple sources that Billy remarked about liking our version of the song. No, Generation X became a favorite of mine later on. Billy Idols “Rebel Yell” record was the second album Doug and I bought with our own money and seeing Billy at Red Rocks on that same tour was my second real concert ever. So, I have loved Billy and his style and music for a very long time. Did not hear his "Devils Playground" album, but I do own his Christmas album, which is great fun, actually.
PUNK GLOBE: Well, you must hear "Devil's Playground", as there's a Christmas song on that one, too! I think it's called, "Yelling At The Christmas Tree". "Cheri Runaway" reminds me of vintage Gen X. High quality power pop stuff! In lots of cities, Fear Channel even controls booking and ticketing at many of the smaller and medium sized venues. Other traditional live-circuits have been compromised by smoking bans, pay-to-play policies, rigorous DUI patrols, and people just being too poor to pay top dollar to drink in clubs. How are you overcoming these obstacles, as a live act? Have you been able to tour with bigger bands, or get booked at any festivals, or is it an ongoing struggle? Do you have a booking agent?
DAVE MANSFIELD: There isn’t really any way to over come these obstacles, unless you wanna have your band playing in basements and such. Bands who really wanna say fuck you to the industry do that. There’s a lot of stuff about the live music industry now that weren’t there 10 years ago and none of it is for the better. But, yes, we have been able to tour with bigger bands and get booked into theatres and large clubs. The bottom line with all of this stuff is that you have to be really good at what you do, AND, these promoters and venues need to know you have an audience. It’s not personal for them, they are running a business. Your band is running a business, too, if you are performing on that level, whether you wanna face it, or not. I have personally booked full U.S. Tours for The Mansfields and done a good job of it. But now, we have a booking agent. Lou Medrano’s Streetcore Talent is handling all the booking in the US and he does U.S. Bombs, Prima Donna, Eddie and the Hot Rods, etc. In Europe, our agent is Manny at TeenageHead Music. Manny has taken care of all our touring, transport, backline, etc. and done an amazing job for us since our first tour, over there, in 2002.
PUNK GLOBE: What did you make of the two recent NY DOLLS comeback records?
DAVE MANSFIELD: I got to see them on both tours, but haven’t heard a whole lot of the records. I heard a few cuts off the latest on "Rodney On The ROQ" and I though it was pretty good, actually. The live show is great, a lot of fun.
PUNK GLOBE: What have been some of the highlights/peak moments of the Mansfields experience thusfar?
DAVE MANSFIELD: This far into it, it’s hard to say, but off the top of my head…Getting a lot of radio play on KROQ w/ "Rodney On The Roq"... Of course, having the coolest song in the world on "Little Stevens Underground Garage", opening a few gigs for L7 as some our first shows, Taime Downe booking us a few times at the Pretty Ugly Club, and then, asking us personally to open for Faster Pussycat, C.B.G.B.'s, touring Europe for the first time, getting signed to Gearhead Records (one of my all time fave labels), playing the City Auditorium (the place where I saw my 1st concert Motley Crue on "Shout At The Devil")…there are so many little things along the way that are so exciting…that’s why I am writing a book!
PUNK GLOBE: As a bassist were you more influenced by Nikki Sixx, Dave Tregunna, Sami Yaffa, or Tony James?
DAVE MANSFIELD: Nikki’s sheer style. Dee Dee Ramone is my absolute biggest influence. The King.
PUNK GLOBE: Ronnie James Dio just passed away. Were you ever a metal-head, as a teenager? Any fave metal bands?
DAVE MANSFIELD: I feel bad about RJD’s passing because he was such a sweet man. I was never a metal head as a teenager, though. I thought I was back then, but my tastes always ran up against what the metal kids were listening to. They listened to Iron Maiden, I listened to Motley Crue and Bowie. They listened to Queensryche, I listened to Hanoi Rocks and Faster Pussycat. They listened to Megadeth, and I listened to LA Guns and T-Rex. I guess all that stuff was getting lumped together, but to me, it was like night and day. But I do like some stuff like Judas Priest, it’s almost pop metal “Breakin the Law” etc. I realized later, that Rock N Roll was more my taste than Hard Rock.
PUNK GLOBE: We've lost so many rock n rollers in recent years. Which rock death affected you the most personally?
DAVE MANSFIELD:: Well, Definitely, The Ramones that have passed. Most recently, LUX INTERIOR. What a shock that was and still is to me. We dedicated our song “Night of the Living Creeps” To Lux every night on our last tour with The Queers.
PUNK GLOBE: Were you a fan of the "GARAGE REVIVALISTS" from the eighties? The Fuzztones, Chesterfield Kings, etc.?
DAVE MANSFIELD: LUV THESE BANDS!!!
PUNK GLOBE: What CURRENT bands do you listen to for enjoyment? Are there any young upstart bands you believe in, enough to plug here?
DAVE MANSFIELD: They aren’t really new but THE SOUNDS!!!!! The Exploding Hearts record is still exceptional, and PEACHES.
PUNK GLOBE: Have you ever played on a bill with the Hangmen, Trash Brats, or Rock City Angels?
DAVE MANSFIELD: The Hangmen-yes, Trash Brats-no, Rock City Angels-no, but I do luv all three bands!
PUNK GLOBE: Current Operations? Future Plans? Who would you like to tour with?
DAVE MANSFIELD: Right now, The Mansfields are recording a series of singles that will eventually come out as a big full length, I’m sure. We are also recording Christmas songs for a XMAS LP, very cool sounding stuff. I am working on my book entitled, “From Here to Obscurity”, which is part tour diary, part scrap book, part memoir. And I have started a band called “Dave Mansfield and the L.A.M.F’s and we are doing some dates. I already have some recordings in the can, and fans of early New Wave, Early Ramones, and Garage will have found a new favorite band.
PUNK GLOBE: Where can people locate MANSFIELDS merchandise?
PUNK GLOBE: Anything else you'd care to impart?