MURPHYS LAW

Some words in a Karaoke Bar with JIMMY G of Murphy's Law
interview by Jason Walsh

Murphy's Law kicked off a big independently produced tour of the U.S. this May in Virginia Beach. They opened for Strung Out, who was currently touring with Pennywise, but took the day off to play with "family." Strung Out guitarist Rob Ramos is Jimmy's cousin and it felt like the perfect spot for a reunion of sorts. Steppin' Out is an all-ages venue for touring hardcore and metal bands in VA Beach, but the front of the building is a karaoke bar, where you can experience some of the most excruciating renditions of American Pop Culture. Between Dire Straits, Skynrd, and Culture Club, we found a chance to talk about music and the ills of the modern world.

JW: Welcome back to Virginia, man.

JIMMY G: It's great to be here.

JW: Did you hit the beach early this morning? Did you get a chance too see the water?

JIMMY G: We broke day, dude. We stayed up until ten in the morning and did things and drank, a lot, and then jumped in the water and it's fucking freezing.

JW: Yeah, it's still like sixty-something degrees.

JIMMY G: But, as always tradition for the twenty years I've been coming here or so, there's porpoise out there, helicopters flying by, and we stayed up from where the jets fly so we could get some sleep.

JW: So, you're just starting up a bunch of shows coming up, playing for like three months...

JIMMY G: 65 shows in America. No label, no agent, no record, no nothing. We're just doing, because we can. Maybe the kids will see that and they'll understand that they can do it too.

JW: Why do you keep doing this?

JIMMY G: Because I'm a terrible carpenter. This is my job. This is all I know how to do, really, I have to face it. I tried to be a carpenter, I tried to get other jobs, I hate doing other jobs. I was going to be an elevator mechanic when I started Murphy's Law, but this is what I do.

JW: Do you wake up every morning and still love doing this, I mean it's a part of you?

JIMMY G: Yeah...yeah. I hate it and I love it. Like tonight I hated it because there's a whole new generation of kids in Virginia Beach. We've been playing here for years and these kids don't even know who we are. I'd rather abuse them, and let the other men and women that know us for years, y'know, KNOW.

JW: The thing is different cities, different venues, bring out different things.

JIMMY G: I have a special thing for Virginia Beach. I've always had great times here my whole life, so regardless of how the kids feel, if I have three people here, they're still my friends. The kids with their arms folded, they were trouble. I like it here.

JW: The thing is hardcore is continuing to evolve. Did you ever think back when you started this...

JIMMY G: Might also have devolved too. I don't like that it's become metal. I consider Murphy's Law a hardcore punk rock band. Hardcore now is just metal. It's a bunch of guys who don't want to have long hair barking like dogs and I hate to say that, I'm sorry, but, it used to be the most different person wins. Everybody's just following like sheep.

JW: There's too many bands that sound the same.

JIMMY G: Which makes me look good because I go up and I just abuse people and fuck with people and I get away with it, and also teach a lesson.

JW: So what could the kids, that are coming up and starting bands, what could they learn from you as far as, for example, doing what you want to do?

JIMMY G: It's so much easier for them now because they have digital technology, which I never had years ago. I was an analog guy. But now you can record your record in your basement with Pro Tools. You can put out your record and have it pressed with a company that will shrink-wrap it and put it out and distro with independent distro kids. You don't need a record label anymore.

The thing with me, I grew up in the 80s during the record labels, and it was like the guy who cleaned the piss biscuits in the fucking bathroom had medical coverage and a 401K plan but the bands didn't. But yet, the bands are what makes the record label. Bands get treated like shit in America.

JW: And the record industry, with the internet and all that...

JIMMY G: The record industry is over now. And even with a band, like, you spend $150,000 doing a record and the first CD you put out is a master, for all the other kids to distribute around. The kids don't understand. I mean it's kind of cool the kids can just take it, and take it, but they don't understand it's yanking it from the band and the band gets fucked. It's like calling a plumber and having the plumber fix your toilet for free. They don't understand the concept.

Now we're on tour right now, hotels are like twice what they were because of the price of gas. Gas is like four and change a gallon. In Europe, we go on the Audobon and we go as fast as we want without the threat of police pulling us over. In America, in one day, I saw six people pulled over. I could be in Europe for two months and see one person pulled over for going fast. We get fucked, man. We get raped here.

JW: In this day and age, with everything that's going on, it's tough touring, it's not easy is it?

JIMMY G: No, it's harder than ever. It's still $10 to get in, but it's four times as much (to tour) as it used to be. I love my country. I hate my government, dude. They don't support me. If I have to go to the doctor, I get no coverage. In Canada, Europe, they have social medicine. We don't. Never mind me as a musician. Our soldiers, while I'm in Virginia Beach now, a lot of vets, a lot of soldiers here, the big guy with me, T (their roadie), a Green Beret who fought in Grenada, and to get medical coverage, you got to beg for it. You fight for your country, you got to beg for medical coverage? It's sad that our friends are defending our country from another country. They should be here. We're spending trillions of dollars because of this fucking cocksucker oil baron. We're defending a country that they pay a dollar a gallon, or fifty cents a gallon. What's the problem here? We're borrowing money from China. We can't buy cigars from Cuba but we can borrow money from China to protect our interests in America. Don't get me into this, please. I'm just saying.

JW: No, I hear you. I'm a veteran.

JIMMY G: Our military guys out there will understand. I think our defense starts at home. Like have a fucking soldier in every subway station, in every airport, not there, getting killed, getting blown up every day.

JW: And we liberated this country, to free them...

JIMMY G: Fuck them. They're never going to be liberated.

JW: We should have at least gotten cheaper gas out of the deal.

JIMMY G: They want us all dead. They don't like our way of living, but we let them live here. They told us this years ago. Listen to the Clash songs. We hired the Afghan rebels to fight the Russians and they fought the Russians and won, and then said they were going to come after us.

Listen to the Clash songs, you punk rock assholes. They said they'd come after us. September 11th? The World Trade Center was blown up before that and then blown up again. After the first mistake, we shouldn't make two. We're Americans. We're smarter than that. We're a country of everybody, and these religious extremists should not control our world and we shouldn't be there in their country trying to correct their world.

We should be here getting rid of gangs in L.A. When I go to Detroit, it's like a ghetto. Why are we trying to rebuild Iraq when we can be rebuilding Detroit?

All our industry has been pushed out to other countries. Mexico and every one is sneaking in. Let's make Mexico part of America. Puerto Rico too. Make them accountable. Very controversial. Sorry fuckers...

JW: It's good though...it's good shit. Let's go back.

JIMMY G: Let's talk music.

JW: Let's talk music.

JIMMY G: Music sucks...haha. Punk rock rules.

JW: Music sucks, punk rock does rule. You guys going to be recording soon?

JIMMY G: Maybe, we're on tour and we have 65 shows in America. After you write "The Beer Song" why do I have to write another song?

JW: "More Beer?" Oh, wait, that was Fear.

JIMMY G: That's Fear. Lee Ving taught me to be who I am, so I just carry the torch.

JW: So, bottom line, as much as you say, sometimes I hate it, it's still got to be fun though.

JIMMY G: Yeah, it is fun. I'm talking to you right now, you're my brother for years. It's just weird I'm opening for my cousin tonight (Rob Ramos of Strung Out) His band is part of a label and agency. We book our own shit. He's also driving 12 hours a day. We drive 3 or 4 hours a day because we book all our shows through our friends. We have a new thing now, we play bars now, like our skinhead friends own bars. We play the bar for free, bar makes all the money, we get our guarantee, and everyone gets in for free. New concept, fuckers...

JW: Everybody could learn from that.

JIMMY G: Nobody's gonna learn. That's why they stood there with their arms folded. Not knowing that I've played Virginia Beach since before they were born. I'm not bitter about it. I'll still be here when they have fat wives and they're done. I'll play to their kids. I'll fuck their kids up. I'm not going away. They are though.

JW: But, you'll be back.

JIMMY G: Yeah! I love Virginia Beach. I love my country. I love my military. I love my family. I hate my government.

(After the interview, I got a big hug from Jimmy and he said "let's go have a beer." I told him I had to go buy a shirt. He was like, "dude, I'll give you a shirt." I told him I wanted to buy him to help support them on the road. The money I spend on a shirt might buy lunch somewhere. I returned to have a few brews with the guy whose music I'd been listening to for twenty plus years, whom I can proudly call my friend.)

STRUNG OUT

Strung Out Returns to Perdition

The last time Strung Out came to Virginia Beach began a string of some very bad luck for everyone involved with the band. Now, some seven months after, they are hoping not to have a repeat performance of their last engagement.

"Every time we've been here it's always been amazing, but there's always some crazy drunk mishaps," said Bass Player Chris Aiken. "Last time we were here was a lot of drunken mishaps, tire mishaps, beach mishaps, waffle mishaps, but this time we're here to rock and have a good time and hang out with all our friends out here in Virginia Beach."

It was October of last year when the band came for two shows at the beach. It was October of last year when the drunken mishaps started the train wreck that wouldn't seem to stop. Drummer Jordan Burns said it was a great show, though there were some pints being put away.

"For the people that were here, they know it was a crazy night," he said. "It was basically one of the band's, certain people in the band's, most drunk show ever. It was out of control, the place was packed, and all the guys were just simply fucking wasted. The crowd went insane. It was a mess but somehow we made it through."

Burns said though they made it through the set, the insanity continued into the streets of Virginia Beach outside the Peppermint Beach Club.

"It was afterwards that things started getting crazy," he said. "There was stupidity that happened and to try and sum it up, our guitar tech got arrested. I mean he was so drunk that night he stupidly...umm...did something stupid and he got arrested for it and it was a really, stupid, petty crime that he should have been released in the morning for and they ended up holding him for a week."

Favio Montes, Strung Out's guitar tech was the culprit in the heinous crime.

"I was all drunk as fuck and I fucked up two bike tires," he said. "That's it though."

According to Montes and Burns, two bicycle tires were slashed during the drunken stupor, which led to the arrest of Montes. But that wasn't where the entanglements with the local authorities would end. Strung Out ran into another confrontation with the Virginia Beach police.

"The one cop was such an asshole," Burns said. "We were the only people on the whole entire street. We were loading our equipment and they cited us with a $120 parking ticket and that was the first night. We thought we were going to pick up Favio the next morning and they wouldn't let him out of jail and we had to leave and go on to the next show."

Favio, stuck in jail, while the band moved on to the next destination, would continue to encounter troubles with the Virginia legal system.

"First they wouldn't give me bail because I was from California," he said. "Then when I went back the second time for my trial and everything, they tried to give me six months in jail, fines, three years probation, and alcohol and anger management classes."

He believed that his personal appearance coupled with latin heritage ultimately created a great deal of prejudice against him from his imprisoners. Burns agreed.

"I think they looked at him and they made an example of him," he said. "He had a mohawk, he's all tatt'd out, and he's Mexican."

"That's what it felt like," Favio laughed. "That's what it really came down to. Because when the cop came, that's what he said. He's like 'where's the guy with the mohawk and the tattoos' looking for me, pointed me out, came over, acted like a dick. I went and saw the magistrate and he comes up to me and he's like 'what happened to your hair?' That's the first thing he fucking says to me so fuck the Virginia Beach police department."

But as the band strived on without Favio, their run of bad luck continued.

"The next show (after Virginia Beach) our drum tech blew his ear drum so he ended up in the hospital," Burns said. "Then, the next day was when our van and trailer with all of our equipment got stolen."

Following their show at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, the band stayed at a cheap motel in North Philly, in a questionable neighborhood and their truck and trailer disappeared. Though they were both recovered later, everything inside both was gone. Guitars, drums, amps, PA equipment, recording equipment, personal effects, gone...to never again be recovered. All this while Favio still sat in jail in Virginia.

"It sucked because everything Favio owned was in the van and trailer," Burns said. "That included all of his bags, his brand new computer, tools, and a brand new Gretsch guitar."

Most bands after losing so much in a matter of days would call it a day. But Burns said all this misfortune did not deter them from completing the tour.

"We didn't stop," he said. "We continued and we did finish out that whole tour. Evergreen Terrace helped us out tremendously, so did I Am Ghost, and we finished the whole tour and felt good that we just didn't get shut down. We did what it took to keep going, and yeah, it felt good to do that and pull it off."

When they were finally finished, their sponsors were very supportive and provided them with equipment to replace the stolen gear. Ultimately, it was the support of the fans that made the difference.

"Our fans helped out big time too," Burns said. "We had a big benefit show at home.and raised a bunch of money and bought everyone back new pieces of certain things they needed. We actually surprised Favio with a brand new Gretsch guitar, the same exact, identical one that he got ripped off and he was in tears. It was awesome."

Favio owned up to shedding a few, and said the band was completely supportive in his battle with the legal system.

"Oh man," he joked. "These guys helped me out so much through everything. Through the actual court thing, the whole band helped me out with money just to get over to Virginia. With all my legal fees, my money, y'know everything...everything. They just helped me out and were behind me fucking 100%."

Strung Out flowed $2500 to their sound guy to help replace his lost equipment as well, who also teared up from the unexpected kindness. Burns said that though the incident at the beach was poor judgment, the punishment did not fit the crime.

"The thing is no one in the band, or even Favio himself I'm sure, doesn't condone what was done, but it was a petty crime. It was a total of $50, call it $100 damage at most and I just couldn't understand how do you not get out of jail on a petty crime like that. What they did to him was just ridiculous. The whole ordeal cost him over $7000 in lawyers and plane tickets flying back and forth. The Virginia Beach police department here is not too nice."

Now back in the state that caused him time and money, Favio decided to go back on his oath.

"Well, I said I wasn't going to drink but I don't think that's going to help," he laughed. "I think I'm still going to drink. I'll hide back in a corner and I'll be all right."

The band was happy to be back in the Commonwealth, but even happier to be away from the craziness at the oceanfront, in a more intimate setting away from all the fanfare of the resort area.

"I'm actually glad that we're not down by the beach and that we're away from everything," Burns said. "We got cool parking here. It seems like it's going to be a bit of a different vibe. We've always had good shows here and I think when things happen you don't ever necessarily take it out on the people that want to come see your band. People were always saying 'are you guys gonna come back to Philly?' and it's like, 'well yeah...you guys, the fans didn't screw us.'"

The stop at Steppin' Out in Virginia Beach was part of their U.S. tour with Pennywise, which wrapped in June. They had just returned from a European tour with some heavier outfits.

"We've been touring with a lot of hardcore bands," Burns said. "We had Evergreen Terrace out with us on that last October tour. We just got done touring with Ignite and Terror over in Europe. It was awesome. We shared a bus with Terror and we had just met those guys and we had a blast."

The event was also a kind of east-coast, west coast family reunion as well. Guitarist Rob Ramos is cousin to legendary frontman Jimmy G of Murphy's Law, who also played the bill. This show also marked the start of Murphy's Law's three month, sixty-five stop tour of the U.S. but the band has designs to continue touring all year if they can.

"We just started our tour off and it's amazing," said guitarist Felipe Lithgow. "Our last show is August 16 with Rancid and then from there our goal is to continue as long as everybody lets us continue to do this. Hopefully, to continue to New Years."

Lithgow, originally from Miami, said he digs being in the area and at the beach, and may prolong their stay.

"We're going to stay in Virginia for 2 or 3 months, bro," he joked.

Local punk band No Brass had the opportunity to open for Murphys Law and Strung Out and were excited to share the stage with two of the country's premiere punk acts.

"It's a dream come true to get to play," said drummer Max Korman. "Strung Out, I've been listening to for a long time and just to be able to play with them alone is like awesome and then Murphys Law put on one of the best hardcore shows. Jimmy just came up and introduced himself like he was just some guy at the show, like totally down to earth guy."

Vocalist Jason Cruz and bassist Chris Aiken were found jamming in the back of their recently recovered trailer outside Steppin' Out. They were working on a song they dubbed "Backyard Trailer Blues." Aiken was excited about the upcoming Australian trip that followed the tour with Pennywise.

"It's like our ninth or tenth time out there," he said. "Australia is like our second home. We go down there almost every year now since 2001. We have a great fan base out there, a lot of solid friends, good guys, and it just keeps getting better and better out there for us."

Aiken said they try to hit the Barbary Coast whenever they can. It had only been seven months since they had last been down under and their first two shows of their 23 stops will be in New Zealand.

"We were just out there last November with Bad Religion which I think really helped us and now we're going out there this time with our label mates, No Use For A Name, so it should be a good Fat Wreck Chords tour, y'know. We're doing every city out there, all the major cities and all the smaller cities."

A new album is definitely in the works for the band. The back of the trailer is just as good a place for creativity as any, according to Aiken.

"We're just working on ideas right now as you came up and witnessed," he said. "Me and Jason are just working on random thoughts, random ideas, y'know, and just hanging out. We'll definitely be working on a new album, but we'll keep you guys in suspense until then."

Inspiration for crafting songs is a unique process for performers. Some need a familiar place, some thrive in the studio, some find comfort elsewhere.

"We always just record songs at home or on the road," Aiken said. "Sometimes when you're on the road you get the most inspired, sometimes when you're at home you get the most inspired, so just always have a guitar nearby to go with it."

"The best thing said all day," Cruz chimed. "Always have a guitar nearby. Let's end it on that."