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| INTERVIEWED BY GED BABEY (Punk Throwback Zine) I saw New York band the X-possibles at the Joiners in July 2003, an Oomff show and a fantastic night. Due to a misunderstanding (the vocals were inaudible, so I suggested they sort it out) I ended up getting bitten, half-strangled and my head banged on the monitor by the bands vocalist, a five foot one woman called Tibbie. I admit that I had wound her up prior to the gig (not knowing she was the vocalist). She had a massive scar painted across her face so I made a pretend attempt to smudge it. I deserved what I got but now I’m a fan for life because music-wise the X-possibles are a great band. Fast, tuneful, old-school punk rock with a hundred influences from the Dead Boys to the Circle Jerks, the Dead Kennedys to the Misfits. Yeah, to me (and old git) they sound retro, but to a 16 year old they (surely) must sound like the best thing ever. They have an album out called Blood Everywhere on their own label available from their website at www.x-possibles.com So here it is, the inside story behind the cartoon punk rock’n’roll band that is the X-possibles; An interview with vocalist TIBBIE X. Yeah, there are some guys in the band as well but Tibbie is the focus and what makes them X-tra special, X-citing and X-rated. Name Tibbie X Age 29 Height 5ft 1 Born in yer typical suburban hell. Parents were.. -mother was born in Germany, she's dead, dad in N.Y. he's the living dead. Education attempted college but hated it. First crush - I think it was on this guy Bowser from a t.v. show Sha Na Na- he was a Fonzie like greaser that did this arm muscle move. First record or band that inspired you - it’s either the Germs or Circle Jerks - I heard them both the same day - I was 11 and hangin’ around these skaters who were older than me and I put this tape on and fuckin flipped out. First misdemeanor - setting fire to state owned property, I used to be SO FUCKIN BORED where I was living I would set like a newspaper on fire and drop it off in the slot at the bank, stuff like that - I got caught burning down a "god is good" poster thing. Personality traits (Describe yourself in 3 words)- Pirate, Chaos, Cunt. Ambitions - to travel around bringing our rock -n-roll party to every small town where nothing ever happens all over the world. Favorite bands of all time- Germs, Agent Orange, Stiff Little Fingers, Adolescents, Circle Jerks, Vice Squad, Sex Slaves, Red Scare, Legal Weapon, Slayer, Ministry, Thrill Kill Cult, Sonics, Hasil Adkins..........sooooooooo much more-I don’t limit myself to one kinda music ya know? Everything from Peggy Lee to Suicidal Tendencies to Specials , Clash, Blondie, Richard Hell, Iggy Pop it goes on and on and on. Favorite book/ movie /artist- Book-Serial Killers A to Z , Movie-Liquid Sky, Artist - Egon Shiele. The X-Possibles, punk rock or rock ‘n’ roll? I nicknamed us pirate chaos core cause we don't really fit into either -too punk for the rock, too rock for the punk. Is what you do Art or Trash? Neither. We live to fuck shit up - It’s freedom if anything. |
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| Are you songs ‘saying anything’ or are they autobiographical or are they just songs? I think their saying a lot in an autobiographical way - I'm not into being preachy ya know? If someone clicks into the lyrics they'll get what I'm talkin’ about. It depends on the song also, like all are life oriented but some are more personal than worldly You seem pretty sex and death obsessed judging from the songs on the album. Have you seen a shrink? I am, the past few years of my life have pretty much revolved around these topics. I went to a shrink TWICE and I WANTED TO KILL HER - the first time she made me take a test --the results - I was anti-social- which is bullshit anyway - I'm highly social, I'm all for BEING social, I just hate everybody. Anyway she wore this wooden rainbow bead necklace and that’s what set me off into the SHE'S GOTTA GO idea - I never went back. One song has a line ‘There’s an emptiness inside which is big enough for two’ Is this an existential plea or are you just horny? I wrote that song for a close friend of mine - my life was totally fucked that month, very depressing time and we |
| decided that we were gonna go to Hawaii together, drink suicide punch and jump into a volcano together - that’s what ‘sleep forever and make the world go away’ is all about -- big enough for two, me and him - It was originally called ‘Song for Pac-man’ cause we have matching pac man tattoos. Tell me about New York 2003 I’m told it’s been cleaned-up and is like a real-life Gotham City. Is there still a punk community or is it all dollar-chasing Strokes sound-a-likes? -the dollar chasing Strokes sound alikes are kinda all grouped together in Brooklyn - there's this street Bedford Ave - all hairstlyes, 80's regurgitation, electro hip, etc etc--the city’s still got a lot goin’ on but you kinda have to live here to know where to go - fun has been pushed underground. Like CBGB’s fuckin blows now, all these wash-ups running it are on serious power trips and now that the NYU college dorm has opened up next door it’s cop central. You said when we met “there are only six good bands in New York’, who are they? There’s probably more, I am "ANTISOCIAL" and I don’t go out to shows that much. I love The Sex Slaves (straight up r-n-r,) The Stockyard Stoics (punk Clash style) Peelander Z (fuckin’ psychotic Japanese garage, Naos Superfortress (electro pop with an edge) Leftover Crack (ska punk), and........I can’t think of anyone, Oh, Deuce and a Quarter (noise craziness), there is more.....don’t make me think! Is Blood Everywhere THE album you always wanted to make. ... it is fucking great but I get the feeling that the next one will be better, longer, a real epic? It’s close but we were very limited by time and money-we recorded all the music in 2 days and the vocals in 2 days-I'm happy with it but I'M SO EXCITED for the next one because the bassist that toured with us records bands for a living so we will have unlimited resources-also some of those songs were old, their good but I've lived more and have more to say- How is the UK different to the USA ? actually, its not much different, although I think the younger punks are more bad ass than the punks here - theres a lotta that hippie cross over P.C. bake sale punk goin’ on here - we met a buncha kids at this one show and all hung out in an alley way bashing glass outta the dumpster and being generally retardedly destructive cause it was funny - I can’t imagine those punks doing charity work. Did you enjoy being in the UK / Holidays In The Sun - who did you meet / what bands did you see that impressed you -that show was cool-we were very hung-over and went on kinda early, thats my only complaint and its self induced. ON stage there I stole some guys beer and then couldn't find where I put it - spaced out- We met the Angry Samoans which was TOTALLY rad--and met Anti Maniacs from Vienna who's cd is awesome-most of the other bands were our friends from NY. You said you met Ari Up (of the Slits) at one of your gigs and she fucking hated you -what happened? ha, thats drunk talk, I actually wonder if she remembers us. We played this fuckin lame-ass new years show at this yuppie club-I'm not sure why we got booked there in the first place-I was in a horrible horrible mood and blew snot on the audience, knocked over someone's table-the whole time Ari was right up front, ya know-and as soon as we finished I just wanted to drink......because I wanted to kill -seriously rip someone to shreds -or have sex in an alley, anything - it was one of those nights- and Ari comes up to me and starts offering advice and critiquing the sound guy - t was just bad timing - I'm like, I'm covered in sweat ,these other bands suck, buy me beer or fuck off - so I dissed her and she didn't look happy - I did terrorize the girls bathroom that night though........differnt story You told me you are 29, which I guess made you late teens when Riot Grrrl hit. Did that scene inspire you? What did you like/hate about it? I always really liked the Drummer From Bikini Kill, she's fuckin cool. That’s about as far as I got into that scene. I NEVER liked the whole seperatist girl thing and have done as much as possible to stay outta that shit. Like WOMEN in rock nights,girl power, whatever. Just fuckin play music, who cares. Was Courtney Love / were Hole an inspiration ? and Babes in Toyland? I never got into them at all. As far as female fronted bands that i find inspirational, here's a few; Avengers, Lydia Lunch, Diamonda Galas, Red Scare. Legal Weapon, 5-6-7-8’s, Go-Go's…. I think Courtney's a good business woman, and I liked her harassing Madonna at some awards thing but I never got into her music. Thanks for doing Chinese Rocks (They played an impromptu version at the Joiners after I yelled for it). Is Thunders still regarded as a hero by the NYC cognoscenti? Man, at almost any bar here, just look for some guy with dyed black hair, kinda long, and a flowery rock shirt and you can hear ALLLLLLLLL about Thunders back in the day. How would you define ‘punk’? I think punk is an extinct word. I think it WAS an aggressive and fun movement that has obviously been commercialised to death. I prefer Chaos core for now, unless someone thinks of something better that I feel I can relate to. Like living free, fearless, and having fun also. It’s pretty simple. Honesty always is. |
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| Your image is very cartoonish, larger than life, you seem to have invented the comic book character of Tibbie X. (Like Lux Interior and Poison Ivy) Do you live it 24/7 or is there a sweet, quiet stay-at-home girl behind the image who really just wants to get a big strong guy, settle down, get married and raise a bunch kids? People are always callin’ me an Rikk cartoon characters. It’s funny cause we met in a comic book shop. The thing is we're just ourselves. I think our influences are so all over the place that visually it ends up exaggerated. We're both into Japanimation, Captain Harlock's got STYLE, maybe that has something to do with it. Lifestyle wise - I can be all kinds of fucked up, throwin’ shit around, breakin’ bottles etc or I can be home playin’ with the cats - I LOVE Madeline cartoons also, and the Zodiac Killer - and lets see -I think for both me an Rikk , we both had strict parents and lived in small conservative religious towns, so we're like kids GONE WILD. Ya know when you’re punished and you’re like - MAN WHEN IM GROWN UP I’M GONNA DO WHATEVER I WANT -well, I do - most people get stuck in the office - |
| I’M out till the sun rises - AND LIVING comfortably - I like to keep my place clean, so yeah, I do house chores - the kids thing though, NEVER! I’m NOT a breeding cow and would never bring someone into this fucked up world - I never ever wanna be a T.V. addicted work zombie dedicated to PTA meetings and neighbourhood gossip! The End. Thanx to Ged Babey (Punk Throwback zine) contributing this interview. You can check out the informative X-Possibles website here www.x-possibles.com and look out for another European jaunt this summer. Their debut album will be reviewed on this site shortly.i |
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