I have known Stephen for years and thought it was high time I interviewed him.. Please enjot my interview with him.....


It has been awhile since the days in San Francisco. Where are you living now?

I live in Los Ranchos, New Mexico which is an old village just north of Albuquerque.

Can you tell the readers a bit about your musical history?

Yeah. I started playing music in the early seventies when I lived in Monterey, CA. I played bass in all kinds of bands, mostly psychedelic rock stuff and for a while with a 10 piece Soul/Funk band. Did lots of touring around CA and the west coast. In 1976, I relocated to London and I was there when the first punk bands started appearing. After Eye Protection I joined Thin White Rope and did some touring in Europe, the U.K. and the U.S. with them before I moved to New Mexico.

Some of our reader may know you best from your days with Eye Protection?

That was great period in time in San Francisco! I met the other guys in Eye Protection in Monterey in 1977 when I got back from the U.K. We moved up to S.F. in August and we all lived together in a weird house out in the sunset. Our neighbors used to bring their kids in off the street when they saw us!! I think you and I met at around that time, Ginger!

Tell the readers about Eye Protection?

It was a really great, very inventive band. The songs were fairly complex and sometimes we would take shit for being too sophisticated!! I'm still in touch to some degree with everyone from that band and it was a super creative time for us all. I miss Dirk and the Mab!!


Who was in the band and what did they play?

Eye Protection was Andy Prieboy on guitar and lead vocals, me on bass, John Maxwell on lead guitar, Terry Gahan on keyboards and David Dean on drums.

Who wrote the lyrics and music for the band? I remember I really liked 'Can I See Your ID' and 'Elroy Jetson' both were really catchy songs with great hooks?

Andy wrote all the lyrics. He had a strange background in music and he was really into old cartoons from the 1930s and obscure musicals from the same time period as well as being a huge Kinks fan. Eye Protections songs often sounded like Merrie Melodies songs only really fast and really loud!

Did Eye Protection have any releases?

Yeah, we released a single 45 on the Aleph label in 1978 that had Elroy Jetson and a song called GoGo Girl. Its quite a collector's item now from what I've heard. There are also some live radio broadcasts out there that sound pretty good. Of course, one of my prize possessions is an Eye Protection rehearsal cassette with lots of cool songs and a recording of the Eye Pro spanking initiation!!!

I can't imagine why Eye Protection never got signed to any label.. Do you have any thoughts on that?

We couldn't imagine why, either!! We tried really fucking hard to get signed. At some point we had some pretty strong interest from Capitol but things with the band and our management kinda degenerated and nothing ever came of it.


Are you in touch with any of your former band mates from Eye Protection?

I talk to Andy pretty regularly and I am still in a recording band (The Sin Eaters) with John Maxwell who lives in Marin County. I've talked with Terry and David a few times over the years.

Tell us about your new band The Chemical West?

We are a pretty tripped out psychedelic surf band with a rootsy, bluesy edge. I play guitar now because our bass player, Bailey Johnson, is so good!! She's 24 and has a great sense of musical history. Our sound has tons of reverb which is a classic primitive surf sound and its also really twangy with some definite country influences..

How would you describe your music?

Its loud, driving, reverby and twangy with cool lyrics.

Who is in The Chemical West and what do they do?

The Chemical West is myself on guitar and lead vocals and most of the songwriting, Bailey Johnson on bass, Janet Linde on keyboards and Dave Nidel on drums.


Is there a story behind your name?

Not really. We were just looking for something that got across the desert sound combined with a bit of psychedelia.

I understand you recently released a new CD.. Please tell us about that?

Its our first album, just titled The Chemical West. We recorded it at Coast Recorders in San Francisco last May. That's a great, old school studio with an awesome live room. The songs were basically just us playing live in the room. John Maxwell from Eye Protection plays a creepy slide guitar on one of the tracks as well.

Any plans to tour to support the CD?

Yeah, we are thinking about a Southwest/West Coast tour in the spring which hopefully will take us through S.F.!!

Any video's being shot?

We've got lots of live video from shows but nothing professional at the moment..we're working on it.

Who are the bands influences?

The Chemical West has a long line of influences ranging from The Gun Club, Elvis, The Ventures and The Kinks to The Cramps, Giant Sand and Friends of Dean Martinez....Everyone is an influence!!


Any internet addresses you would like to share with the readers?

We always like to be liked on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/thechemicalwest You can also check us out on Reverbnation, iTunes and cdbaby.com Anyone who wants to contact me or the band can reach us at TheChemicalwest@gmail.com

Tell us what is in store for The Chemical West in 2015?

We play shows a lot but we still want to do it more!! So, more shows, some touring, maybe a new album ..

Any last words for Punk Globe readers?

I hope some of your readers are people from the old Mab scene. Those were some of the coolest and most fun days of my life, even if it almost killed me!!. If you are still around, we love you!!