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.)