Dead Milkmen Live To Make People Think

August 21, 1992|By MONETTE AUSTIN Daily Press

A conversation with Dead Milkmen's HP Hovercraft is a lot like flipping channels during late night television in a foreign land; the more you do it, the more bizarre each channel appears.

During a recent telephone interview he talked about his latest song - the saga of a girl who lives in a monastery and sleeps with the monks ... but not in a carnal sense.

"They take naps. It's about pure love. It's a very nice song, very sad. It's from the point of view of the people who live under the monastery. I was working violin and cello into it. That will probably be the best part, the cello, because I was interrupted," he said.

Yeah, OK.

In an attempt to explain his left field idea, Hovercraft said he's been on a weirdness jag ever since the band's sixth album, "Solar Rotation" came out on the Hollywood Records label this spring. The album offers listeners a more mellow but no less bizarre collection of songs. Each tune seems to stray further from rational thought, yet there is a theme - UFOs.

There's "The Secret of Life," which describes someone's journey on a "cigar shaped flying ship." Another song, "Belafonte's Inferno" tells the dismal tale of someone killed by the very aliens he dreamed up in his own head. Even "How It's Gonna Be," a depressing ode to everyday life, has a line, "You will vote Republican/You'll see UFOs."

Lest listeners find Hovercraft and his Milkmen obsessed with unidentified flying objects, he offers an explanation.

"I was bored. When I get bored bad things happen," he said.

Hovercraft defends his writing campaign, explaining how writing to military officials and wailing about the Gulf War became a hobby. Then, he began to write off-the-wall groups and give each one the other's mailing addresses.

"I thought my contribution to the world would be to connect all of these weird groups," he said.

One group began mailing UFO materials to him on a regular basis. The album's name came from a piece of UFO literature. Some of it just happened to be in the studio while the Milkmen were recording.

"It was like osmosis. We're not obsessed with UFOs. We're obsessed with people who are obsessed with UFOs," he offered. "Digging people is cool."

In a leap of thought that seemed related at first, Hovercraft went on to suggest that everyone should make a point to visit Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and Elvis Presley's Graceland. Hearing tour guides at Monticello drone on about antiques and then listening to Graceland tour guides explain the king's plastic furniture is an experience no one should miss, Hovercraft said.

"Elvis bought furniture that his dad didn't like. There are similarities between Monticello and Graceland that I can't tell you about. You have to go see them for yourself. OK, you don't have to see Monticello, but everybody has to go to Graceland at least once in their life," he said.

Quips and absurdities aside, it bugs Hovercraft when he hears people call Dead Milkmen a joke band. True, their lyrics are meant for a laugh - but they also are meant to make people think.

The Philadelphia-based band features guitarist Butterfly Fairweather, bassist Dave Blood, Dean Clean on drums and Hovercraft on keyboards. Hovercraft and Fairweather share responsibilities for vocals. The music they make is no joke to them.

"That's why we're getting sad and serious. People come to our shows and think they're going to hear these little punk songs. Then they hear this serious stuff. `That'll teach you to come here and want to have fun.'"

* The Dead Milkmen play at 10 p.m. Saturday at the Peppermint Beach Club, Atlantic Avenue at 15th Street in Virginia Beach. Doors open at 9. Tickets are $7.50 in advance. Call 491-2582 for more information.

Daily Press Articles