Born from the ashes of the 70's NYC/Cleveland punk scene, Bill DeGidio (A.K.A. Robert Conn) wanted to form a band that would reflect his days being in the legendary 70’s Cleveland punk band The Pagans, but didn’t want a carbon copy but rather newer version of a historic sound. Through many variations of great bands such as The Defnics, The Plague, and AK-47’s in Cleveland, Bill finally found himself in Houston, TX. “Why Houston?” One may ask - Well, Houston was good enough for Cheetah Chrome, Nikki Sikki, as well as bands like ZZ Top, Humungous, DRI, and many others who have followed, so yeah… why Houston?

So, anyway… after many other bands in Houston, Robert Conn along with his wife Julie (A.K.A. Jewels) formed a punk band called Chelsea Hotel, who have seen members the likes of Maxx from Junkyard and even Lonnie of The Bullet Boys… Yeah, that Bullet Boys (place “Smooth up In ya!“ quote here) - So, after years as Chelsea Hotel the band recruited Pablo Ono, who had also moved to Houston and had played with The BlackNovas, Die Cobra, and Darketh (with members of Fuckemos) in Austin, but was touring as Electric Frankenstein’s new Bass Player and even Texas Terri’s guitar player during her Texas tour at the time. With their mutual fandom of each others bands as well as their common respect for punk and rock n roll in itself helped solidified the three as the new core… and then cam Marc Munroe. Marc and Pablo had played in The Hot Things together along with Don Cilurso (of Texas Terri & The Stiff Ones), so Pablo knew what a powerhouse Marc was, as well as the fact that they just knew how to feel each other musically and could read a change in a song without effort. After a few shows here and there the band recruited young gun Brandon Barger, who’s band The Wrong Ones had called it quits (or infinite hiatus as we call it in the business). Once Brandon brought his fierce leads into the mix, The Guillotines were born and complete as a whole.

The Guillotines have evolved since then to become a high energy 3 guitar attack of rock n roll the like of MC5, The Stooges, and Kiss - and to this day carries on the sounds they helped create as well as too create a whole new sound in itself!

The Band has enlisted the help of their friend Don Cilurso (Texas Terri & The Stiff Ones, Deviletones, King of Kings) to produce their new full length album and as a result, the new album promises to be a contradiction of itself, mixing raw songs reminiscent of their roots with refined clean, but loud and snotty rock n roll!! Who are The Guillotines? You are about to find out…

The Guillotines Interview

Members are Bill De Gidio - guitar / vox (Pagans, Defnics, AK-47's, The Plague)
Pablo Ono - guitars / vox (BlackNovas, Die Cobra, Electric Frankenstein, Texas Terri Bomb [during her Texas Tour])
Brandon Barger -guitars / backing vox (the wrong ones)
Jewels - bass / backing vox (Chelsea Hotel)
Marc Munroe - drums (The Hot Things)

It’s getting to be late in the game for some of us folk, what makes people keep pushing, keep playing, cause it ain’t the money.

No, definitely not the money. It is the music for sure. For me music is the most comfortable place to be. I love the songs, the fans/friends and the stage itself.

Writing, playing live, touring and recording are all still a love/hate relationship for me. So, I believe that (like all or most artistic expression), it has it’s highs and lows, but it’s that high that gets me every time, and because it is a high (and sort of a fix) that I simply can’t and won’t live without it. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s all I truly know.

There is a lot of band experience behind this project. How did this band come together?

Jewels and I had been jamming with a lot of people over the past 12 years around Houston. Different names (Saint Cannabis, Chelsea Hotel), different members including my son, Maxx from Junkyard and others.... But when we hooked up with Pablo a couple of years ago we felt a new vibe to it. Changed the name to The Guillotines, got Marc Munroe to come on board on drums and then about a year later we invited Brandon over to jam and it was on. The 5 of us played a few hours and kind of looked at each and said “what would think?...” That was the night The Guillotines took a vow to slay the world with guitar rock!

Yeah, Bill pretty much masterminded the whole thing. Haha! He just knew when to ask each of us at the right time, but after our last drummer left I knew we needed bad ass drummer to complete the whole outfit, so I asked Marc (whom I played with before in the Hot Things), to drum. He is one of the most heavy hitting, prolific drum writing, crazy time-keepers I have had the pleasure of playing with. There’s no one I would want to play with in this band or any other after, than Marc. So, when I called him and he agreed to come try us out… well, the rest is... What you would call rock ‘n’ roll history! Ha!!

You've got one of my favorite youngster’s from the Wrong Ones in there, can he keep up with y’all?

The reason for Brandon is that he can do what we can’t. Each guitar in this line up has their own place. It works because of that. I would never be able to do what Pablo or Brandon can do. Pablo added way more than I was able to do. Brandon brings it up a notch past Pablo’s ability. By knowing and playing to your ability and being humble enough to allow others to play to their ability allows for some great stuff to happen.

I think It’s pretty much - can WE keep up with him! Ha! Brandon is a great guitarist and his lead playing is a force, and that force is forcing me to polish off my old metal licks that I tucked away back in ‘89!! Haha! He is my partner in crime and writing muse. We work off of each other, almost instinctively. I believe when you surround yourself with good musicians it makes you want to up your game and be better than you were. It’s how we get better and yes, it’s a bit of that friendly competition that’s in all of us. Ha!

I’ve heard some of the songs and I like it, how was recording and what can we expect from the album?

The recording has been quite an experience. We have let Don Cilurso take over production and engineering. A first for me. Should have had a producer ages ago. He did not settle for okay. You played it until it was THE take..... It will be a hard driving rock n roll record. That’s what the world needs. I mean, isn’t there enough bad shit happenin’ in the world? Drink a beer and jam some rock n roll from The Guillotines.

Yeah, and an added footnote to what Bill is saying: There were months of pre-production in which Don sat in with us listening to our songs producing them from the get go, and really became the 6th Guillotine member during the whole experience. Behind the board and in the studio he has single handedly gone above and beyond to get us the best tones, mic-placement, volume, sound, etc. Some of the labels I’ve talked to who have heard a couple of the tracks can’t even believe they’re not mastered yet. I personally hope that this album ends up being as huge as it sounds! Haha!!

Is this a one person write and everyone play or a everyone collaborate even steven?

We are all involved in writing. A few old songs have remained and have been restructured to fit the new sound. Plus we have already written some great new stuff with much more to come.

Right now all of the new songs are written by Myself, Bill and Brandon, but ultimately we ALL have a say in it’s outcome. Brandon and I have very similar writing techniques, so it’s very easy for us to pump out 20 songs in an hour and bring it to the band, but we usually have to pick the best out of the bunch and move forward with those. Haha!.

Is this band based solely in Houston, I know some of you started elsewhere’s.

Yes, we are a Houston band. Which is a good place to be in 2014. The scene is full of great bands and good people starting to work together in promoting each others shows. The result? Seems like the rooms around town have been quite full all year.

Yeah, we are all based here in Houston now. Most people ask “why Houston?” - but I gotta tell ya… why not? I like this town. It has all of the characteristics of previous cities I’ve lived in, but it still has a thriving art community, and the bands here in town play because they want to, not because they got duped by a city’s tag-line or the 50,000 bands moving there.

What is playing in Texas like as compared to other parts of the country?

It has been a new lease on my music career. Texans love live music. It is hard to say anything bad about other places though because I am happy anytime I am playing and overlook a lot of things.

If you can get Texas to love you, you’ve already conquered the world! Haha! I love playing here just as much as anywhere else, but how it differs or compares, varies on where you play I imagine.

Do you find that young folk out there are hungry for new music?

Yes, hungry for some good rock n roll!!! We bring a good balance of rock/punk and play it fast and loud. The kids are digging it.

We have been getting a lot of great responses from fans who are children of fans, so I would have to say yes.

Do you see a difference in music from different area’s?

Not as much these days. Early on the first and second wave you could almost tell where a band was from by their sound. With internet and access to songs so readily available you will hear influences by a band from NYC in Japan and so on...

I do definitely. In my opinion every person who starts a band will be influenced by band they grew up listening to or after being turned on to it, but… to what interpretation will be they be influenced is up to the influenced. Hahaha!!

Is touring any different now than it used to be?

Yeah, I got to have a good bed. Jesus, I’m 55. I've done enough vans, cars, floors and closets.... But it is much easier to set it all up these days.

Used to be you’d get paid your guarantee and have your rider honored, or drinks taken care of. Now most venues and promoters want to fuck you out of everything which is why it‘s probably easier to set up these days.

Do you thing that music is changing for the better or the worse? Please support this with a 5 page essay double spaced… kidding, why?

Hard for me to judge that. Most of my time is spent on my own music. Don’t hear much new stuff. But it sure seems like there are a lot of stellar bands around the past few years.

I hope it’s for the better. From what I've heard internationally and locally here in the States. There is definitely a movement in the right direction. Hell, a lot of my favorite bands are here in Houston

Is it easy towing the work line and the band line?

I made a choice early on when I had kids and it was my duty to do right for them. I was tired, but I did it. Wish I had been blessed to just play, but that hasn't been the case. No regrets either way.

Not when you have a home line as well. All three need your attention and all three can be pretty jealous of each other…

What are your plans for firmly placing yourselves in and standing out amongst all the new and old bands out there?

I think The Guillotines has a chemistry that bands strive for. We are going to put this record out soon. It is going to be a record that you will want to play LOUD. We are going to bring some bad ass guitar rock to you all!! Then we will have to get out and support it for sure. A trip to Europe would be very cool next year too.

If we just keep doing what we’re doing and continue to make no apologies for making fun, loud ass rock n roll with our friends, as opposed to the whiny shit that’s out there, and we keep doing it our way, it doesn't matter to me if we “stand out.” At least we’ll be surrounded in good company.

Does coming from a touring band prospective make it easier when forming a new band? Is it something that is important when gathering members together?

Yes, you want to have members that will hit the road sometimes. If that isn’t agreed upon at the start it can get ugly later.

The main thing for me personally, is to put the best band of players together. When forming a new band, you have start over in a sense, even if it’s not totally starting over because of your past bands, but you still have to prove that you have an outfit as good as the one before or that you’re known for. Writing the best songs, putting out the best record is first to me… touring is later. If they want us, they’ll pay for us, and we’ll all go… we’re too old to sleep on floors and in vans anymore. Ha!

Have you learned anything from past incidents and mistakes?

Always ask for the money!

Yes, I've learned many lessons, but I must’ve forgotten what they were…

O.K. here is the extra credit portion, you can pick any living or dead musician and the same applies to producer for ONE song. Who and why?

Lou Reed. Why? He was God. Producer, Rick Reuben.

Roky Erickson. Does one really have to ask why? I mean it’s Roky Erickson! Sound guys usually hate me and if it’s a producer you mean - Demonboy is pretty damn good, but if he could get me in the studio with Jack Douglas…

Spread the gospel, names, dates, places and all that so we know what to look and watch for.

Record coming soon. Dates around Houston including an October date at Rudyard’s in Houston with Cheetah Chrome, an old buddy from Cleveland, Ohio.

What Bill said…

Punk Globe would like to thank Bill and Pablo from The Gullotines for this interview!!!

Guillotines at 19th Hole with Honky -