Ok recently Gary Heffern of the prototypical punk band the Penetrators which included me (Mike Spent)in his 11 questions interview. Well that inspired me to interview Heff with my own version of his original questions! So here it goes Heff

Gary Heffern began his career the late seventies as the lead singer of the San Diego band The Penetrators. He's done poetry readings with Jim Carroll, John Doe, Nina Hagen, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Henry Rollins. His first solo album, "Bald Tires in the Rain," featured artwork by an incredible cadre of his admirers, including John Doe, Mojo Nixon, Country Dick, and Victoria Williams, with music provided by The Walkabouts. His following albums have continued to feature a Who's Who of pop, folk and American roots music. Peter Case, Mark Arm of Mudhoney, Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, Alejandro Escovedo, Peter Buck of R.E.M. Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows/R.E.M.) Chris and Carla of The Walkabouts, Jim Roth (Built to Spill), Jesse Sykes, and Eric "Roscoe" Amble have all appeared on his albums. The depth and breadth of Heffern's friends and admirers who join him on his musical journey is a continuing testament to his position as an important songwriter whose work rises to the top of the heap. Along with his band The Penetrators, Heffern received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 San Diego Music Awards.


Gary please tell us about your musical beginnings and any bands or releases that are not as known as your known band if any?


AIDS BEGONE 1

A Case for Case: A Tribute to the Songs of Peter Case
Got No Chains - The Songs of The Walkabouts
Song of America
Frisco Mabel Joy Revisited for Mickey Newbury
There's a Hole in Heaven - A Tribute To Townes Van Zandt
Center for Disease Control Boys
Blood, Ink, and Needles- Documentary about Artist Mad Marc Rude by Carl Schneider

AIDS BEGONE 1 was put together by myself and Angie Bowie. The CDC boys were a side project I was in that had a bunch of Seattle luminaries musicians and performers which included Chris Cornell with Soundgarden, Jonathan Poneman, founder of Sub Pop Records, and Ben McMillan, lead singer for Skin Yard and Gruntruck.those are off the top of my head. I'm on a bunch of compilations...but lately have been writing songs for other people, including from Germany, Andrea Schroeder, from New York the Cynz, and from San Diego The Sidewalk Scene, I am also working on an an album with Ed Pettersen from Nashville called the Midnight Sons. Which I will go to finish recording when I get back to the states. Ed put out the song of America project and had one of his songs recorded on Bettye Lavettes last album. i also just got an email from friend Steve Perry, and he and Michael Jenks from The Executives have put a poem of mine to music and it will be released under the name of "Dimestore Lament".

Why music? What motivated you to get into a band and what bands were the inspiration?

The bands absolutely were The Zero's, The Dils, and The Hitmakers...and wait... Here it comes...the Iggy Pop and Tom Waits story.... Iggy Pop handed me the microphone when he was playing live and it was the first time I ever sang and I was in the audience. I was instantly hooked. Tom waits was playing at SDSU's Backdoor. I was waiting in line with a six pack of beer, and he came walking up, and we sat there and talked and drank the beer. I gave Tom some of his writings and turned down an offer from him to buy me dinner. When he got up on stage at the beginning of the show he saw me in the audience and walked up to where I was sitting and shook my hand and said "you know kid, there's some good stuff in there, you should keep writing". So I did. about 20 years later I would see Tom again, and told him that story and gave him my Cd's. You should have seen him beaming with pride,and shaking his head and laughing in disbelief. It was a wonderful moment and one of the most beautiful full circle moments I have ever had in life.


Were you trained in music or did u wing it? Your first musical instrument?

My only musical instrument is my voice. And no not trained at all. There has been a constant joke in the studio and in bands that I work with that everything is in the key of heff. A lot of the time when I am working with a band I hear the melody so just would sing it in the microphone during rehearsals. It probably frustrated the hell out of a lot of people. But hey, it works for me!


Where did you meet the first band mates and are you still in contact?

The first band was Monotone and The Nucleoids. and I met them while standing in line for either a Tom Petty/Dwight Twilley show, or Iggy Pop show that I had made up a t-shirt with that name on it. And wore it to the show. These Mexican kids that looked like The Zero's came up and asked if that was a band and I asked if they were in a band and they said yes. So I asked if they had a singer and they didn't! And I know that The Zeros were at those shows as well. I was a fan of there's. Our first show was at a party with The Zero's! I am in touch with Danny Diaz who was in the band via Facebook !

In retrospect please tell us your regrets and/or successes. It your choice?

I think my main regret is not having children. When I was married we kept putting it off until I was able to make money off my music. I got so close so many times. And then whammo. She was a really great woman. and I felt i really let her down. I don't really think of myself as a success. Definitely not financially. but I am happy that I have stayed true to my own vision. I still push the boundaries of my mind, spirit and soul. Just in different ways than I did in my youth. I truly am blessed with real friends and they are my biggest success.




Has music fulfilled you ? Do you have a family or children?

Music fulfills me constantly. I'm a total geek. So are all of my friends. No matter if it's someone I run into at the library or on the street, or wherever usually within the first few sentences comes the question "What are you listening to now?". I LOVE THAT! As far as family goes. My family is the world. hard to explain. but see above. My greatest fear is I will die alone. And not see my friends again, Simply because of age. I am trying to get back to the USA, But am waiting for my place to sell here at the Arctic Circle. It's been on sale for awhile now, But the market has gone down considerably and winter is coming. Cold and brutally fast

So please explain your band The Penetrators band,what it represents personally to you?

I didn't really like the name of the band, but went home and grabbed a dictionary and one of the definitions of the word penetrate is to break through to the truth. So that was when i accepted the name. Scott Harrington, Chris Sullivan and Joel Kmak were rehearsing under that name before they asked me to sing for them. Being in that band and having regional success was good and bad for me. But I also think they would have gone much further with someone with a much better voice. But, at the same time. it was such an exciting time. And I love and cherish those moments and of course the band members. It blew me away that the last time we played at the Casbah it sold out a month in advance. We didn't play together for almost 20 years and then did the Country Dick memorial show it was like yesterday . I remember saying to the band "I am so sorry." I had gotten so deep into drugs that I had to move to Seattle in 84. It was great to see them all and it just fit. And every show we did was sold out and I was shocked to see that. The funniest thing was it was all the old hardcore folks that came to see us. People who I was sure hated us because when we started playing the bigger shows so many people really turned their backs on us you know the whole sell out syndrome. It was funny because when I was living in Seattle I saw that whole thing happen to all those Seattle bands. I remember a young Chris Cornell asking me to tell him "everything I did wrong". and i said to him "just be nice to people and know that many people that you think are your friends once you hit a certain point are going to resent you because of what their perception is of where you are at any given time. So just know who your friends are as they will still be there in a couple of years". Okay. whew rambling here. So back to the Penetrators. Love those guys!


What was it like being in a band like the Penetrators in the 1970s-80s ?

it was the most exciting time in my life. I never felt more free. The early days were amazing. the diversity of the bills for shows and the community feel at the time was so very special. It was like that Generation X song "100 Punks", the time we played The Masque it was on a bill with Middle Class and Rubber city Rebels, we ended up staying at Tomata Du Plenty's house. We also shared a show with The Weirdo's, Plugz, and Suburban Lawns. The Germs would come out to our shows there was no division like what happened when hardcore came into the picture in the 80's. That changed things. And things became more militant the jock mentality came in and the innocence was lost. Very sad.


Is there any music that you simply can not understand or despise?

When I was a kid I never understood classical or jazz. I've grown to really enjoy them. some prog rock I don't get. But hey. that's just me.

What got you living in Finland and how long have you been there?

That's a long story. There is a film on youtube called the Gary Heffern story it's a documentary that shows on Finnish television . That covers it all pretty well. I have been here coming on 9 years. And simply put want to come home. It's probably the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life. I am waiting for my place to sell so I can move back to the States. It's too fucking cold here!


Finally Gary please tell us everything about the book "Unholy Dreams",is it your first book? Was poetry your first love or did it arise from your lyrics?

The book came out last year. it's a collection of writings AND lyrics. Ray Brandes did the layout for the book,and was the person who pushed me to do it in the first place. I was a bit uneasy about it. So I sent it out to these friends of mine and asked what they thought. and if they liked it they could write something as introductions. and people really dug it. Some those folks were Peter Case, Jesse Sykes, Peter Blackstock, Chris Eckman, Cindy Lee Berryhill, angie Bowie, and others. they gave me the momentum and were so encouraging. I also have artwork and photography throughout the book. I have some work from some folks who are well known i.e the late Mad Marc Rude,super illustrator Lee Ellingson, Michael Jenks. and so many others. It really was a community effort. It's only available on Amazon, as it is print on demand. and its a large book for cheap! But beautiful. and I am really happy with it. Hey reader out there. please buy my book and send me home!!! Thank you Mike Spent and Punk Globe for the interview. and long live The Spent Idols!