Keeping Up With The Cavemen: The 13th Floor Interview

New Zealand garage rockers The Cavemen made the move to London a couple of years ago. Since then they’ve been tearing up the European club scene.

Their UK-based record label, Dirty Water Records is reissuing the band’s first album, recorded in Auckland, on blood red vinyl this week with two bonus tracks.

We thought this would be a good time to catch up with Paul Caveman and see what the band has in store for the new year.

The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda gave him a ring and you can listen to the conversation below…

Click here to listen to the interview with Paul of The Cavemen:

Or, read a transcription of the interview here:

MD: For information for folks: how long has it been since you guys left New Zealand and headed out to the UK?

PC: We left on Boxing Day, two years ago.

MD: … Did you have specific plans to go over there? Did you have something all set?

PC: Yeah. It was a long time coming. We didn’t really have much set up over here. We had a Spanish tour lined up and a few gigs in London, but, other than that, we just went for it. We didn’t have any jobs lined up, or anything. We just thought we’d throw ourselves into it.

MD: What happened? After the gigs that you had lined up, how did you guys proceed?

PC: The weird thing was that I expected we’d get a few gigs and, maybe, put out a seven inch, or something, but we played one gig, and word just spread like wild fire, about us. I thought, before I moved, that there’d be dozens of rock and roll bands – like wild rock bands – but there really was just a handful, and there wasn’t really anything quite like us; so, we didn’t have much trouble finding gigs or people just hitting us up left, right and centre.

MD: That’s interesting: you’d think that if there was a market for what you’re doing, there would be some bands to fill that void; but apparently not.

PC: Yeah! That’s what was strange for me. I’m not saying that there aren’t great, rocking bands here, but there wasn’t anything quite filling the void that we might fill….

MD: Judging from the publicity that I’ve seen, you guys have gotten up to some shenanigans over there. What are some of the things that have happened over the past couple of years?

PC: Well… I can’t even remember how many shows around Europe…we’ve done at least three or four European tours and lots of festivals. We’ve made three forty fives, one LP – one coming out soon. What do you mean exactly? Do you want some stories?

MD: In addition to the festivals and the live shows, apparently, there have been some altercations with airport police, and things like that.

PC: Yeah, that’s right. We were playing in Naples, a couple of months ago, at this festival, We’re Loud – a really cool festival; it was with The Kids – and we were just wandering around Naples – which is a really beautiful city; really ancient city – and we drink a lot, generally, and Nick Glasson: he didn’t realise that you couldn’t drink in a cathedral – in a Roman Catholic cathedral – and with the heightened tension in Europe at the moment, they don’t look too kindly on that. We just had to run away from the military police! It was pretty brilliant! But, God bless him, he didn’t realise what he’d done…

MD: Well, hopefully, you guys can stay out of trouble. So, you’ve been hooked up with these folks at Dirty Water Records, and my understanding is they’re affiliated with a club called Dirty water. What’s the deal there?

PC: Dirty Water’s a label that’s been around for quite a few years now. They started off as a club night – putting on people like Billy Childish – and they kind of morphed into a record label – their first release was… the first was a re-release of The Liars’ How do You Know. They put out our last album, and they’re re-releasing our first album at the moment.

MD: The first album was recorded here in New Zealand, right?

PC: Yeah. It was recorded at The Lab, by Ed Castelow from Dictaphone Blues.

MD: That must have come out, originally, two or three years ago?

PC: I’d say about two and a half, maybe three. Yeah, I think two and half years ago in New Zealand.

MD: And so, now the reissue is coming out, on blood red vinyl, in a couple of weeks, with a couple of extra tracks on it. What are the two bonus tracks?

PC: The two bonus tracks are our first single, Juvenile Delinquent with Swamp Thing. The reason for repressing is – because we don’t want to be like a reissues band; we’re always moving forward –  but a lot of people have wanted that album, and that first single, but we just ran out on them about a month into being over this side of the world; so, it’s good to finally be able to give the people what they want.

MD: The demand is big, over there, for the vinyl?

PC: Yeah, yeah, really big, especially at gigs around Europe. European people are very supportive. They party hard, and they support the bands really well.

MD: And then you’ve recorded an album, since then, that was released last year.

PC: Yeah, that’s right: Born to Hate on Dirty Water Records.

MD: And since then, you’ve been doing some more recording; is that right?

PC: Yeah, that’s right. We’ve got a new album coming out in just a few months, actually, but that’s coming out on Slovenly Records.

MD: What can you tell me about that?

PC: It’s called Nuke Earth, and it’s probably our best one yet.

MD: You would say that, wouldn’t you?

PC: Yeah, yeah…! There’s a new video coming out soon; you’ll get the gist of it soon.

MD: Oh cool, alright! For the untrained ear, a lot of people would assume that what you do is pretty primitive and basic, and there isn’t much progression from one thing to the other. How would you explain to the newbie, how you have gone from what you’ve done from the first album to what’s happening on this new third album?

PC: Well, we never will change too much. I will say that this next record: if you listen hard, you can hear the influences from the beginning, but it’s got a lot more power pop, and some of the tracks are a lot more early heavy – kind of like Motorhead; but I guess we’ve always done a bit of that – but I guess the biggest progression is a bit more melody. It’s still thrashy. It’s still pretty raw.

MD: Are there any plans for you guys to come back and perform in New Zealand in the near future?

PC: Well, we’d love to. You know anyone who’s booking?

MD: I’ll check around!

PC: I’ll split my cheques with bands from other venues!

MD: Hopefully, there’s going to be some new venues around, because the King’s Arms is closing, and some of the other places.

PC: We were all really heartbroken to hear about that. It’s really gone to the dogs. I was really stoked about it.

MD: Yeah, it kind of sucks. Hopefully, somebody will rise to the occasion. I noticed you sent me a photo of you hanging out with one of the guys in The Real Kids, which is a band that we both admire immensely. Have you met anyone else while you’ve been travelling around in Europe?

PC: Yeah! I’ve met a lot of my tremendous idols, and I’m very grateful. I met Cyril Jordan from The Flamin’ Groovies, when they played a couple of months ago.

MD: And how were they?

PC: Oh, they were fantastic! I had pretty low expectations. I’ve seen a lot of bands of that vintage, and some of them have got the chops – like The Sonics, I thought, still do – but The Flamin’ Groovies just nailed me. They were just fantastic!

MD: I assume they’re playing more of the earlier Groovies stuff, rather than the power pop stuff later on.

PC: No, I think it was more Shake Some Action, Now kind of stuff, and some new songs, which actually weren’t that bad. They did play Teenage Head and Slow Death – actually, those are the only two early era songs they played, I think.

MD: Who else have you met?

PC: Our last gig was with Kid Congo Powers, who, I think, played in Auckland recently; is that right?

MD: He did! Yeah, he was at the Tuning Fork, a little while ago.

PC: How was that?

MD: It was fantastic! He was the nicest guy too.

PC: Yeah, he’s a real gent; he’s a real gent. Yeah, I thought they were fantastic!

MD: Are there any similar, up-and-coming, younger bands that are doing things that you’re interested in over there?

PC: Yeah! I would highly recommend, to anybody out there, to check out this French band, Les Luiiies….

MD: … What do they sound like?

PC: They sound like The Plimsouls or The Nerves.

MD: [Laughter] Fantastic!

PC: They’re just fantastic! Another great band is The Black Mambas, from LA…. They’re… like Eddie Cochran on glue; just real tough, 50’s rock and roll.

MD: Speaking of LA: have you guys played in the States at all, or have you just been doing the European thing?

PC: We haven’t played yet, but in April, we’re touring Brazil, Mexico and the US.

MD: Very cool! That ought to be wild! Is that your first time in the US?

PC: Yeah, that’s our first time as a band.

MD: What kind of venues are you playing?

PC: A lot of it I’m unaware of at the moment, but one thing I know for sure, is we’re playing in Reno in a casino with The Spits and The Oblivions and The Mummies; so, that’s just going to be wild!

MD: In a situation like that, is there the urge to outdo each other?

PC: Yeah. I’d say… you always want to be the best, and you always want to give the audience what they’ve paid for, and there’s a camaraderie amongst bands; but it’s like any facet of human life: you need to have some competitiveness.

MD: It sounds like it’s going to be an exciting year for The Cavemen. When do you expect the new album to be released?

PC: About the same time of March/April.

MD: Well, we’ll see if we can find a promoter to get you guys back here and play some gigs as well.

PC: Yeah, I would absolutely love to!

MD: That’d be cool! But in the mean time, we’ve got the first album reissued at the end of January, and I think we’re going to have a copy shipped to us from the UK, so that we can give it a way on The 13^th Floor; so, that should be fun!

PC: Yeah, that’s right.

MD: And, hopefully, folks can find it in Real Groovy and Southbound, and all those stores around here. It’ll be cool!

PC: Yeah. That should be distributed.

MD: Well, good luck with the upcoming year – it sounds pretty cool! Hopefully, we’ll get to see you before the year is out. It sounds like you guys are rocking!

PC: Oh, thanks a lot, Marty. It’s nice to hear a familiar face. Take care.